The Lifestyle

Apr 17 1999 N/A 1h 18m
Documentary

Forget martinis and Austin Powers. This documentary is an unflinching portrait of the realities of "swinging," and it's not exactly a shaggadelic picture; in fact, the swingers we meet in the film are older, often lonely people. Most of them are simply looking to break out of their conventional, well-ordered lives by adopting "the lifestyle." Birds and bees may not do it, but we learn that monkeys do -- as well as 3 million Americans.

Plot

What sort of people engage in recreational group sex on a regular basis? David Schisgall's documentary The Lifestyle provides one answer: mostly cheerful, but paunchy, suburban couples who have either slipped into middle age or are starting to advance past it. For the most part, they look like normal workaday folks, and could even be your neighbors. Schisgall interviews 20 members of "swinging" groups in Orange County, CA, and discovers most are happily married (often for decades), politically lean a bit right of center (several of his subjects once had careers in the military), and are personally unremarkable once you get past their "hobby." The Lifestyle also reveals why AIDS is all but unknown in "swing" circles and takes a trip to a "Lifestyles" convention where fun seekers from around the country get to know each other (in more ways than one).

Written by

N/A

Directed by

David Schisgall

Cast

Dant'e Amore, Wild Bill Goodwin, Robert L. McGinley

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Good Machine, Swinging T Productions

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
233
Average Rating
6.1 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA