Young at Heart
[1987, 28 min.] "Fairy tales can come true . . . " reads the graphic that begins
this film. In the context of Young at Heart, that fairy tale is a love
affair between two artists in their 80's. Viewers are treated to a loving, affectionate
couple who have rediscovered the wellsprings of youth in their old age
Introduction
"Fairy tales can come true . . . " reads the graphic
that begins this film. In the context of Young at Heart, that fairy tale is
a love affair between two people in their 80's. Louis Gothelf and Reva Shwayder,
both artists, had experienced full lives of marriage and family. Then both experienced
losses. Louis' wife died after suffering for ten years with Alzheimer's Disease.
Reva experienced multiple tragedies: her first son died in his 40's of cancer,
her husband died, and then her last son drowned in an accident. But Louis' and
Reva's art sustained them through these losses. Then on an art study trip to
England the two met and fell in love. The filmmaker introduces us separately
to Louis and Reva. They are both independent thinkers, committed to the expression
of their art, and interested in life in the present. They may not always agree
with each other, but they are devoted to each other. The first time we see them
together they stroll through an art gallery and share their opinions on classical
and modern art. Louis is a classicist; Reva is a modernist. Neither one yields
to the other's opinions. But as the scene ends, we hear Louis say, "I love
her sensitivity and humor." And Reva says, "We have a wonderful time
together." As the film progresses, we learn that the two live together
in Reva's home. For some time they do not consider marriage. But eventually
Reva suggests marriage as a natural next step. Louis' response: "There's
no reason why we should not." The film ends with scenes from their wedding
and honeymoon. Throughout the film viewers are treated to a loving, affectionate
couple who have rediscovered the wellsprings of youth in their old age
Pre-Viewing Notes
and Activities
- Ask members of your audience if they know of anyone who was widowed and
then remarried in old age. You may want to discuss briefly some of the societal
attitudes toward remarriage in old age. To what extent does our society expect
old men and women (perhaps especially old women) not to remarry in old age
after they have been widowed? To what extent do adult children resist the
idea of their parent marrying someone else? To what extent is the "lonely
widow" or "lonely widower" an approved stereotype in our society?
To what extent do old people not feel comfortable with the idea of remarrying?
One of the ideas promoted in this film is that such questions are best resolved
by the old persons themselves. Old people, like all people, have the capacity
for and the right of self-determination in all relationships.
- What are same of the universals about the subject of people falling in lave?
What does everyone go through? Note briefly some of those universal moments
experienced by all people: the first conversation, the first date, the first
kiss, the first argument, meeting the family, finding mutual interests to
share. To what extent are these shared experiences in common across all age
ranges?
- Ask your audience to consider society's attitudes toward old age and sexuality.
To what extent are people uncomfortable when old people express affection
for each other by kissing or hugging each other? How are they supposed to
act? Why? Note that the film portrays an intimate personal relationship between
two old people who are not afraid to express their affection for each other
openly and freely.
Summary of Scenes
- Louis Gothelf, in his 80's, and Reva Shwayder, 84, are introduced in alternating
scenes. Louis reminisces about his boyhood in Russia. He also tells his granddaughter
about Reva--the woman he has been dating for three years. Reva looks through
her mail: "Here's a schmaltzy card from my cousin. She's been married
three times, so she knows all there is to know about marriage."
- In the first scene Louis' granddaughter asks, "If you think I should
get married, how come you live with Reva?" He tells her, "We can't
do any harm to one another. Reva can't get pregnant." In the second scene
Reva talks about her social life. "I think I've been more popular since
I've been doing these bad things--living with a man to whom I'm not married."
The two scenes come together when we see Louis and Reva on the beach together.
They walk arm in arm. Romantic music plays.
- Louis talks about old age: "The reason I feel young is I am interested
in many areas. I cannot sit idle." He says the perfect day for him is
to enjoy art. We see him seated in his den. "I'm always with a sketching
pad." We see images of sketches and watercolors from his sketching pad.
When he came to American and took English classes, he discovered his love
for art. We see examples of his work. "My forte was portrait painting,"
he says. "I was the happiest person in the world when I held a brush
in my hand, dipped it in same paint, and something came off of it in the canvas."
- Reva is cutting flowers outside her house. She complains about old people
who "live in the past." She refers to widows as the "most unfortunate
group" because they have "nothing that interests them." Her
philosophy: "Why mourn? Go on living." She adds, "When I feel
sad or upset, I go in and paint, and the world is lost." She recalls
how she studied art in her middle years. "People say I paint flowers
better than anyone in the state." She explains that she grows all the
flowers she paints. "I grow them, tend them, and love them." Later
she adds, "I have tried to paint something beautiful that will give joy
to the owner."
- Louis and Reva spend time in an art gallery. As they walk through the gallery,
we hear Reva in a voice over say, "Later in life I met this wonderful
man. He's a beautiful portrait artist." We overhear their interchanges
in the gallery. He tells her about his favorite portrait painters and about
the art that moves him. She recalls that she "learned a much more modern
technique than he did." She tries to show him the strengths of an abstract
canvas. "So what," he chimes in. She patiently explains what makes
this artist famous. Their interchange is lively, and neither yields to the
other. She holds his arm, and they go their separate ways yet together: "There
again I disagree with you," she says. "What's beautiful about that?"
he says. As the scene ends, we hear each praise the other: He says, "I
love her sensitivity and humor." She says, "We have a wonderful
time together."
- In her living roam Reva tells how the two met on a plane to London. "We
were compatible," she says. Then Louis, who is seated in his den, tells
how he was assigned a room in one of the towns in England. She pitches in
that his roam was spacious while hers was a closet. Louis recounts that she
knocked on his door and announced: "Reva with her luggage. I'm staying
with you, Lou." Then we see Reva: "I moved right in. And he didn't
abject at all. And so then we became very friendly."
- Upbeat music initiates a transition. We see a montage of photographs from
the England trip. Louis notes, "From then on it was Reva and I. And a
romance grew in proportion. I think we're a very compatible pair." We
see more examples of their interaction. Each goes his or her own way. Each
demonstrates his or her own quirks and idiosyncracies. Lou recalls that Reva
invited him to move in with her. So they packed up things in his apartment
and he moved in. "This is our home," he says.
- Lou stands amid the boxes and other memorabilia in his apartment. He recalls
his marriage in 1928. His wife was "very supportive of my work."
We see a portrait he did of his wife. "I loved her and she loved me."
He relates the "torturous ten years" when he took care of her while
she suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. She died a year before he met Reva.
Reva recalls her past. We see old photographs of her husband and family. She
recalls her happy marriage and healthy family. "And then I've lost everybody
that was dear to me." Her son died of cancer in his 40's, her husband
died, then within the past year her other son drowned. "It left me with
nobody." She sums up her life: "I've had to live with it. My sorrows
I keep to myself."
- Closeup of a painting of Reva. Her eyes are sad, and her expression is somber.
Lou, who painted the portrait three weeks after her son drowned, describes
her expression. "This was the mood she was in, and it was retained that
way." But he says he will paint her portrait again someday. "I want
to paint a gracious lady with a lot of charm and life. At 84 she is full of
life." Lou at work on a portrait of Reva. She is sitting for him. She
wants to stop and rest for a while. "Just a little bit," he urges.
Closeups of Lou's face show the intensity of his concentration as he adds
touches of pigment. "Coming, coming. I've got to adjust the values."
Then we see Reva painting peonies. She says she has never painted this flower.
As she paints, she talks. "Housework is the worst enemy of an artist."
She outlines the flowers in bold strokes. She adds, "You could really
have a few drinks and paint peonies." She concludes, "This is something
that will keep you young forever."
- Reva and Louis sit on the sofa together. They kiss. Reva observes, "I
hope if anything happens to him, I can take care of him, and if anything happens
to me, he'll take care of me. That's what I call love." We hear Louis
say, "I feel I miss her when I'm away from her. And she on many occasions
says she misses me when I'm not with her." The two walk in their garden.
Reva's advice for widowers: "Don't stay home and grieve. Move. Go out.
You'll meet other people." She characterizes their relationship: "It's
stronger than just physical love." The two sit close together. They kiss.
Louis recalls that one day Reva had asked, "How about getting married?"
His answer: "There's no reason why we should not." At the prenuptial
party there is a wedding cake topped with the traditional bride and groom
ornament--but both bride and groom have white hair.
- Their wedding ceremony. Reva wears a cream-colored dress and a strand of
pearls. Louis and she walk toward the altar in a garden setting. The rabbi
offers a prayer: "Because you have found the kind of companionship and
understanding and tenderness when life begins not at 40, but in the 80's,
and when each of you, coming from different backgrounds, with your own long
stories, each now finds the other. There is always a tomorrow of hope because
you are young at heart." They exchange vows. Then they exchange rings.
They turn and kiss each other as we hear the song "Young at Heart,"
sung by George Burns. Louis and Reva dance after the ceremony. The guests
look on fondly. Then we see images from their honeymoon--the two painting
together, looking at a sunset, and embracing.
Discussion Questions and Sample
Worksheet
Text of The Great Circle
of Life: A Resource Guide to Films and Videos on Aging, copyright ©
1987, 1999, 2005, Robert E. Yahnke. All photographs copyrighted by Robert E.
Yahnke. All rights reserved. Contact author for permission to copy
photographs or reprint portions of text.