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RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Birch Street Gym
1991 0h 30m EN
😐
6.2
MID
★6.2TMDB · 6
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A group of elderly retirees join a boxing gym, and rediscover their self-worth as they repudiate expectations that they're too old to lead vigorous lives. Jack is particularly relieved to escape the tedium of his retirement home, as he advances to challenge brutish Rocco for the club championship. But Rudy, the club's operator, must battle local officials who are trying to close the club out of fear that the members are endangering themselves.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Stephen Kessler
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Stephen Kessler directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 4IMDB entry: tt0101456 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 5Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Runtime
- 30 min · 0h 30m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
Also by
Stephen Kessler
Community reviews
What people are saying
- CinemaSerf★ 6/10
This is really a film about purpose. A group of elderly gents who have been largely sidelined because of their advanced years attend the Birch St. Gym. It is a source of exercise, association and healthy competitiveness and for many of them living in care environments, it is an opportunity to get out and let off steam. With the annual club championship approaching, Jack is challenging Rocco whilst the manager Rudy has an altogether tougher and more uneven task of his own - to keep the club open. The local authorities are terrified that they might find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit should one of these geriatric pugilists do themselves, or another, an injury and so are determined to close the place down. Adamant that they barely have the strength to pull the skin from a custard, they insist that no such eventuality is likely, but as the deadline day looms, things do not look good for this club. It makes it's point clearly and succinctly right from the start, and then leaves us in the capable hands of these charismatic men as they spar - verbally and physically, for half an hour. As an observation of cameraderie, this works quite well and though probably ten minutes longer then it needs to be, reminds us that old age needn't be the key to the scrap heap.
Production companies
Who made it
- CH
Chanticleer Films
US
Key crew
- ProducerT.R. Conroy
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1991-01-01
