Check out the crazy little comedy About Fifty (originally called Fifty-nothing) a buddy film from writers Drew Pillsbury and Martin Grey. It’s so much a buddy film that the two writers even decided to star in it. And you know, they made their performances look easy and more natural than it probably would have been.  It’s playing tomorrow night at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Kick-off party.
A modern comedy that explores the simple truth that it’s never too late to start over again. Even at age 50. We meet two long-time golf-buddies, Adam (Pillsbury), going through a trial separation from his wife of 15 years and Jon (Gottlieb), who is not only losing work to the “young guy”, but also dealing with a “generous” prostate. They decide to take off on a weekend journey to let loose and re-live the Palm Springs get-a-way of their younger days, but meet with unexpected results.
Struggling to fit in with the younger crowd, they find surprising comfort through encounters with women nearer their own age. As the weekend progresses, both are forced to come to a truce with middle life’s predicaments. A film that asks the question, “If fifty is the new thirty then why do my knees ache?” in what may be the world’s first coming of age story about the coming of age.
I enjoyed seeing the predicaments that Adam and Jon get into in this well written comedy that had me laughing and realizing that there is a lot of truth in fiction. I especially liked the characters played by Wendie Malick as Kate, Anne-Marie Johnson as Erin and Kathleen Noone as Peggy adding a lot of lady to this fun filled move. Oh, and if you go thinking About Fifty is about golf, you are using the wrong club.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good comedy that pokes fun at the after fifty “sex drive”. (B)
The writer/actors and director Thomas Johnston will be at the kick-off event on October 21st at 7:30 PM. The film also plays again on October 24th and October 29th. Check the schedule at WWW.FLIFF.COM