Some seniors find the long sought-after Fountain of Youth by accident, just by regularly sneaking into a neighbor's pool. I don't know if I'd swim in a pool that has moss-covered boulders tossed into it, but these guys do, and find their youthful vitality returning.
Unbeknownst to the men, aliens on a mission have rented the neighbor's place, and set up the pool as their base of operations. Fortunately, these were post-ET/Close Encounters beings, so they had benevolent intentions.
Great cast of some familiar faces, and the screen chemistry of the cast members is wonderful as they range from highly emotional to contentious in their interaction. The nursing home residents are marvelous in portraying their renewed joy of life. Don Ameche is dashing with the ladies, and acts the role of a youthful character very well. Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Mareen Stapleton, and Wilford Brimley are all great. However, the movie is certainly not all a feel-good warm fuzzies type of story; there are some sad tragedies that occur as the plot moves forward.
My one criticism is that the film lacks the courage to address its central theme, the idea of eternal life, only skirting its ramifications. Only one character rejects the idea, but generic platitudes (like "belonging here") he says explain nothing of his reasoning. The film doesn't analyze the people who desire immortality enough, either. We get a few morsels about missing baseball, fishing, and grandchildren. But this shallow analysis gives insufficient insight to this infinitely critical decision the characters are faced with.
It's an interesting tale, with a bittersweet message about our own mortality. A well done production that has you wishing the best for the characters, and contemplating what you might do if you were in their shoes.
