Grade: C

Older viewers will probably enjoy this comedy-drama about romance among men and women of a certain age, which mixes easygoing sentiment, humor that sometimes has a slightly naughty but basically inoffensive edge, and poignancy. But younger audiences will be less appreciative of the sitcomish feel to “The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club,” or its large degree of mawkish manipulation.

The linchpins of the script’s overlapping plot threads are two people who have recently lost their spouses: Marilyn (Brenda Vaccaro), whose husband Marty was run down by a careless woman (Renee Taylor) as he was out jogging, and Jack (Len Cariou), whose beloved wife has died of natural causes. Both wind up at the titular neighborhood meeting in a southern Florida retirement community, where survivors gather to support one another, and are effectively adopted by current members–she by the younger, still active Lois (Dyan Cannon) and he by gregarious ladies’ man Harry (Joseph Bologna). Before long romance is in the air for some of them. Jack is approached by an elegant if rather forward woman named Sandy (Sally Kellerman), while Lois links up with the active, smooth Donald (Michael Nouri). As for Harry, he uses the internet to find companionship. In all three cases, however, obstacles arise. As for Marilyn, her achievement is to become independent again and finally confront her anger over Marty’s death.

As drawn in the take-no-chances script by Susan Seidelman and Shelly Gitlow, and played by a likable cast, these are all pleasant enough characters who make for easy company, with Bologna bound to be an audience favorite for his outgoing personality and elbow-in-the-ribs dialogue. And yet it has to be admitted that the story is decidedly unadventurous, like a dish that’s been prepared for palates that prefer the bland to the spicy–a sort of “American Pie” reformulated for seniors. Seidelman’s laid-back direction accentuates the comfortable old-shoe feel, as does the string of old standards that fill the soundtrack. Even the cinematography by Eric Moynier seems smoothed-out and slightly dull.

So in spite of the estimable cast, in the final analysis “The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club” comes off at about the level of suburban dinner-theatre fare. And unfortunately, a meal is not provided.