If You're Not In the Obit, Eat Breakfast (2017)
At my family’s house there’s a framed watercolor print on one of the bathroom walls that says, “Do not regret growing older; it is a privilege denied to many.” It’s a pretty safe bet Carl Reiner would have agreed with that sentiment. He was the kind of guy who was raring to go each time the sun came up, even when he hit ninety, the age at which American culture tacitly expects seniors to slowly dodder and totter their way into oblivion.
None of the nonagenarians and centenarians in If You’re Not In the Obit, Eat Breakfast would cop to what culture expects. Not only are there marathon runners, dancers, yoga instructors, painters, and actors among them, but even into their nineties they’re still looking for new adventures and having a ball. Breakfast tells their stories.
Not everyone in the film is famous on the line of Reiner and his friends, but famous in their own way, such as runner Ida Keeling, who started running in her sixties at the request of her daughter, and once she got going she couldn’t get enough. Or Stan Harper, who, at the age of ten, picked up a harmonica he found on the street, learned how to play it in about five hours, and then left home at twelve to go into show business.
There are a lot of familiar faces as well, like Betty White, Fyvush Finkel, Dick Van Dyke and Jerry Seinfeld. Next to Reiner, Van Dyke and Seinfeld probably have the most screen time, the former because they had a lot of years working together, and the latter because Reiner was an inspiration to him from the time he was eight years old. Reiner even became good friends with Seinfeld’s mother, who was a character all on her own.
Some of the nicest parts are when Reiner is sitting around chatting with his buddies Mel Brooks, Norman Lear, and George Shapiro reminiscing about when their families would hang out together and among other things they would sing a song in Yiddish about “another world” to the tune of “O Christmas Tree.” Every one of these guys are goofballs and it’s fun.
However, in addition to the friendly chats Breakfast asks the big question: What are the secrets of longevity and vitality?
Some of it is culture—in many places around the world, seniors are considered important members of their communities and are pretty much expected to inspire those around them. Healthy lifestyle, of course, is a big part of long life, but it’s not all of it (Looking at you, George Burns, and your ever-present cigars!). Willingness to laugh and see humor in life is huge, as is staying active in whatever way possible. Above all, everyone says, don’t slow down. Motion gives life.
The film has a very warm look to it and is shot with quite a bit of energy, with just enough quick cuts to keep the interest going, but not so many that it’s distracting. Viewers have plenty of time to take everything in.
I couldn’t help but feel a little melancholy knowing how many of the folks who were interviewed are now gone, including Reiner, who passed away in 2020. That fleeting bit of sadness, however, was outweighed by how much fun Breakfast is. Reiner and his friends make old age look really, really good.
If You’re Not In the Obit, Eat Breakfast is currently streaming on HBO Max. Rated TV-14.
My grade: A+
Principal cast: Carl Reiner, George Shapiro, Mel Brooks, Norman Lear, Dick and Arlene Van Dyke, Kirk Douglas, Stan Lee, Tony Bennett, Betty White, Fyvush Finkel, Dan Beuttner, Stan Harper, Ida Keeling, Jerry Seinfeld, Iris Apfel, Patricia Morison, Harriet Thompson, Jim Pee Wee Martin
Directed by Danny Gold
Written by Michael Mayhew and Danny Gold