A group of singing old people is out to prove rock never dies in

"Young @ Heart,"is a marvelous, funny and touching documentary. This film profiles senior citizens who make up a traveling show, singing a variety of rock, punk and pop songs. They sample everything from the Stones to Sonic Youth, James Brown to the Beatles. They're like a bridge club, only with more Radiohead songs.

Most of the laughs come from the seniors' inability to grasp the rhythm of the song or to remember the words or deliver them in proper cadence (one man keeps messing up on Brown's "I Feel Good").

Director Stephen Walker could have been content to keep this a one-note piece. Instead, he takes a closer look at the band, giving us portraits of them as individuals, visiting their homes and their spouses, and at times offering brief biographical narratives.

In one segment, a woman of 92 years openly flirts with the director. In another, a man tells the secret to a long, happy marriage: "Dinner and dancing twice a week -- I went on Tuesday, she went on Thursday."

Interspersed between the film's main action is a series of hilarious music videos produced by the singers, complete with dancing and spoofs on the shenanigans of typical rock and hip-hop videos of today. They help establish the characters, showing their sense of fun and willingness to poke fun at themselves.

They bring an odd appeal to well-worn songs, offering a fresh take on even the most pretentious of old standbys.

Viewers come to see the documentary's stars not as old codgers trying to belt out songs, but as real people who have experienced, or are experiencing, loss. Some of them fall ill, threatening not only their performances, but perhaps their lives as well. Still, they refuse to feel sorry for themselves or give up on life, and embrace the prospect of a new challenge.

The film runs a tad long at 107 minutes, but that doesn't detract too much from its quality.

Whether you're 9 or 79, you should see this film.

I dare you. Rock out with the "Young @ Heart" band.