Just a quick reminder about the premier showing of the German made video:" "Playing hooky - getting old is not for sissies." This was done a few years back and filmmaker Susan Gluth is here to show it for the first time in the USA. Showtime is 7 pm at the Sun Bowl and is for RCSC cardholders and their "escorted" guests. Don't forget to bring you own chairs, pop corn and beverage of choice...no food trucks in the food court for this event.
I saw the trailer for this documentary and personally, it offended me. This is not the Sun City I know. Yes, some of my neighbors are older but this documentary did not depict any of the very active people we see here. My friends, older than I, went and saw the movie and told me many people got up and walked out. We did not come here to die...we came here for the fantastic retro houses, the rec centers, the golf courses etc. Please, someone out there with some skills in making documentaries, make another one.
Hey Fiona: We stayed through till the end and there were parts that were entertaining. What was too bad was Susan had gotten some great footage from older folks who are far more active than some she had chosen and twice as fun to follow. Unfortunately elected to focus on a handful of seniors, some who weren't in the "prime of their latter years." I've thought about this a lot and one of the things that stands out is this: In the past 12 years I have had a dozen or more interactions with media types looking at Sun City. They very often focus on our more senior residents. In trying to get my head around it, one fairly recent adage comes to mind; "60 is the new 40." Essentially stories on aging aren't meant to focus on the 60 and 70 years olds, but those in their 80's and 90's. The curious thing is as we have been marketing the community, we always put the spotlight on active seniors. While age matters, we want those who are doing things and staying young. Last night I liked the couple in their 70's and the things they said. I would have liked it more if their 60 some-things telling us why they moved to Sun City and what they were doing to enjoy it...but that's not what Susan's film was about. Finally, all is not lost. The CBS Sunday Morning show is in production and we should hear shortly an airing date. That will be a whole other type of look at Sun City.
Thanks for that bit of insight BP. You are a fantastic addition to Sun City and thanks for your efforts to present our community in good light. I look forward to the CBS Sunday Morning show and will hope for a better presentation. My friends were outraged over the movie and I suspect others are as well. What a waste of film.....
My friend went into detail about this film and she and her husband were outraged when it was finished. So were many others and have contacted the RCSC. We walked last night through the neighborhoods and reflected that this is such a wonderful place to live, not die, and had we seen this movie prior to buying, we would not have bought. Susan Gluth is not a brilliant documentary/film maker in my opinion. She would have dug in deeper and peeled back the layers to see what this place offers and to see who lives here. We are considering moving to north Phoenix to reside in one of our homes now. To be closer to the real arts in Phoenix would be a breath of fresh air.
I'm an a little surprised by the reported "outrage" by anyone who saw the film Monday night at the Sun Bowl. Let me preface my comments by stating that I was there from the opening, lengthy explanatory remarks by the filmmaker to the very end of the evening. Following is a potpourri of my impressions: 1. The filmmaker carefully elaborated her artistic intent which was to document the rather unglamorous aging process and attempted (apparently without success) to explain that her film was not about Sun City. It used Sun City residents as a vehicle to portray aging. 2. It is unlikely the film will ever be shown again in Sun City or maybe anywhere in the United States. 3. The film had the announced purpose of being "artistic" for showing at European film festivals for film artists, with a secondary hope that it might have cinematic appeal and earn a dollar or Euro. (unlikely in my opinion) 3. With the poorly organized, lengthy introduction while waiting for it to get dark enough, followed by a 99 minute film, it turned into a three hour experience for those arriving customarily early for Sun City residents and ended at circa 9:30 p.m.--both longer and later than usual for the usual entertainment opportunities. 4. Were there more early departures than usual? Yes! Was it a flood of departures? Havens no! Did people leave because their butts were sore? Sure? Because they didn't like the film? Sure! Because they wanted to avoid having to deal with traffic when the program ends? For certain! With that said, I would also say I am glad I went and stayed. Did I like the film? No! I was more depressed than outraged when it ended, although the film did have several scenes providing some comic relief. Do I believe the filmmaker succeeded in her goal? Maybe! So now you can add my account (hearsay) to Bill P.'s account (hearsay) to form your opinion. Should you rely on the opinion or report or any of us who were there? That's for you to decide.
That is simply an exceptional critique of the film BR. It was depressing in that who wants to look in a mirror and see what we may be in 20-25 years? But that was in fact what the film was about for Susan...aging. I have heard many of the same criticisms both from my wife and her friends and completely understand why. Rather than agonize about it, I simply write it off as yet another effort from an outsider trying to portray Sun City through their eyes or perspective. If nothing else, it is a constant reminder that there are lots of older people living in the community and we should not ever forget them. They were often the ones who helped shape this community and helped make it what it is today. There was no worse reminder for me than when I visited Jane Freeman in hospice. She was responsible for writing Jubilee (along with Glenn Sanberg) and for the museum being built and existing today and into the future. When I stopped at hospice she was lying in a fetal position and barely cognizant. As I held her hand, I came to understand, it's our future. Rather than be depressed, celebrate everyday. Take as much as you can, but remember to give back as least as much. It's the way we honor those who made us what we are today. And, don't forget to touch your neighbors who are older and struggling.
I think Sun City was badly used. Why not do a documentary in say...Trilogy Vistancia? I suppose it would be harder to portray that community as depressing being it is newer and has more bling. The residents are a mirror image to our Sun City, some rich, some not so rich, but all aging, some dying and the bar is full of lonely ones. My opinion is based on watching the trailer and my friends who were all present at the movie and who all felt the same way. I do hope someone with some film making talent comes along and does a good job of showing just how great life can be here in Sun City.
you are so right BP. Love your neighbor and always keep others in mind. We all watch our neighborhood pretty closely and I think that alone makes us shine.
Shockingly depressing film. Ms. Gluth says the film is about aging and not about Sun City. It IS about Sun City. Where else did she go to film old people. Sun City's active boomer generation are not featured: NextGen, pickleball, bowling, tennis, etc. Instead, empty streets, empty clubs (with the exception of the bingo game), extremely personal information given in a dr.'s office (name, address, phone number), cemetery scenes, being fitted for walkers, people making urns for "fun." If you were considering moving here and saw this film, you would run as far away as possible. It's basically an anti-marketing campaign against living here. Should be retitled "One Foot In the Grave" or "In Waiting Line for Death." A more interesting film would have been aging in different locations: Japan, Denmark, Canada for instance. OR, it would have been more interesting to take aging in Sun City from 55-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80-90, 100. And by the way, watching Betty Jean vomit and later sitting alone in her chair does not add to the poor woman's dignity. Shame! We stayed but I saw others leave in utter disgust. I practically had to tie my husband to his seat to stay because he was so offended by this film. And by the way, if it truly WAS about aging, don't they have any old people in Germany? Just asking....
Hey Tillie, welcome to talk of sun city. That's the beauty of forums, everyone is entitled to opinions and free to express them. Hope you hang around and share more with us; the community is growing slowly but surely.
I watched the trailer last week and knew that I didn't want to watch the film. Saying we want to live out our retirement years in Sun City doesn't equate to not living life to the fullest our bodies or minds will allow. I'm glad I didn't go. I hope the film will be boxed up and brought back to Germany without anymore U.S. screenings. This reminds me of all the build up to the movie Nebraska. I found it very depressing and the few bits of humor didn't help. So, I can't critique the movie but I'm sure I made the right decision in staying home Monday night.
I haven't seen it but last time I saw a documentary about a retirement community it was the same slanted view...they like to show the oldest, the sickest and the loneliest scenes. Maybe they think it gets higher ratings. What is the name of the film you're talking about?
"Playing hooky - getting old is not for sissies." by Susan Gluth Just plug this into your search engine and the trailer for the movie should come up in the results.
