"What's your advice for growing old?" asks the interviewer, "Don't get old", replies the subject with a laugh. We have come to such a point in modern medicine where we're able to keep ourselves living well in to old age. It's deduced that if medicine continues to progress, we'll be able to live well in to our hundreds. But, yet again, society has a large stigma  against senior citizens and the elderly. It's a common misconception that if you're over sixty, you're useless, obsolete, and fragile. And many companies and medical institutes have no idea how to handle the number of elderly people in need to medical care and home care. However, in Asia, aging is embraced, the elderly are revered for their knowledge and wisdom. Why can't America, one of the most sophisticated countries in the world embrace that ideology? Ageism is not looked upon on as a serious problem as racism or sexism in America. Though "Growing Old" is in fact a very depressing documentary, but it really explores how being old doesn't mean being useless.

Don't you dare tell the people profiled that. One is a technician who has survived colon cancer and now is struggling to survive an infection that's eating away at his health while pre-occupying himself with his loved boat, and his wife Elaine. Helen is a waitress at a restaurant who knows everyone in the neighborhood, and neither of these people ever ask for help. Thankfully, director Michael Neel who has the chance to manipulate and exploit these people, really doesn't. He respects them, he talks to them rather than down to them, and they're portrayed as hardworking average people whom are discriminated because of their ages. Neel profiles in his documentary "Growing Old" both the independent senior citizens whom disprove the common theory, while also profiling our lack of proper care for the elderly with mentally disabled elderly patients whom need the help they desire.

"Growing Old" is a sweet and sad documentary profiling different senior citizens whom attempt to get by in life, and reveal the everyday routines of their work, and their marriages. But possibly one of the more gripping profiles is of Dr. Paul Mazur, a courageous doctor who travels everywhere to hospices, homeless shelters, and gives private home visits to help his patients get the proper medicine, and proper care, and even helps some realize that they're ready to die. In one of the most heartfelt scenes, Mazur expresses grief for going to an ATM and taking out money while other patients are homeless and sleeping on the streets. Thankfully, Neel never gauges the audiences emotions, he never manipulates the people he interviews, nor does he stage scenes, the film is intimate and sweet, and "Growing Old" really will hit home for the audience at one point. It made me teary on separate occasions, and it really profiles how little value the elderly have in our society, and Neel adds a distinct touch to his interviews showing us that they are priceless because they are human beings.

"Growing Old" is a sweet, wrenching, and heartfelt documentary studying humanity and aging. Often times, films, with the right effect can make us look at ourselves and the people in our lives in an entirely new light, and "Growing Old" does that by touching upon the inevitable, and makes you realize that we must always value the people around us.

• To find out more about the film "Growing Old", visit the official site: http://www.growingold.info/

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