Young at heart

Many years ago, when I had my first VCR, I foolishly allowed Julia to select the movie for us to rent one Christmas for all the family to enjoy: ‘Sophie’s Choice.’ I still have nightmares about that film.

Five minutes into the movie we took Mum and Dad to see (my choice), I feared I had made an even bigger blunder. ‘Young At Heart’ is a documentary about a bunch of senior citizens who travel the globe singing rock tunes, some disconcertingly more senior than others. Mercifully, it lightened up and we all loved it. It’s truly wonderful, but a stark reminder that life is not a dress rehearsal and we must all seize the day. Three clichés in one sentence – sorry about that. Here’s a quote from Nietzsche to make up for it: “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

The parents’ trip went well and it was very emotional waving them off at the airport, especially as Dad needed a wheelchair because his arthritic knees were giving him jip. Julia tried valiantly to get them upgraded to first class using her air miles and they were on standby if anyone was a no show or cancelled at the last minute. No such luck.

I tried to broach the subject of a master plan for their future, especially as several good friends of ours are dealing with their parents’ ailing health where dementia and diapers are involved. Enough said. But Mum and Dad insist they’ll deal with that if and when the time comes. “Will you at least sell some premium bonds and get a cleaner and a gardener in once a week?” I begged. But Mum wants to hold on to the premium bonds in case they win a million pounds.

As you can see from the photo above, Mum is in fine fettle. Julia and I took her to the Café Del Rey for brunch on Mother’s Day. She said it was the best Mother’s Day she’s ever had and made up for all the ones we’ve spent apart since Julia and I moved to LA.

Ageing parents is just one reason why I need the ‘Making Of Plus One…’ movie to be a success. Filming started this week. We cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Just to be clear - this is not a movie based on Plus One. It’s a mockumentary about the making of a movie based on Plus One and the wheeling and dealing that goes on during the Cannes Film Festival to get it made. Julia and I will be flying to the South of France in July for the second phase of filming. We will be playing ourselves and only in a couple of scenes.

If ‘The Making Of Plus One’ movie is a success, it will give Plus One the book a new lease of life and pave the way for a movie actually based on the book with the added bonus that the rights have reverted to me. The Man Child has suggested we call it “Lesbians On A Boat With Robots and Ghosts” as that has all the ingredients for a box office smash.