It is fitting that the overall goal of Not Dead Yet is to open a pancake diner. Pancakes are not the healthiest breakfast choice, but they’re a sweet treat and fine in small doses. They’re also familiar, much like how this film evokes the common scenario of elders finding something to do in their twilight years. This isn’t an original film, but it is comforting enough, with some good performances, for a film that never raises the stakes too high.

The casting is spot on, with Richard Kind fittingly front and center as Elliot Kelman, a marketing man being shoved out the door. Kind’s humor balances cynical and curious, which works well for a guy who isn’t ready for retirement but doesn’t want to be humiliated. Realizing where his career is headed, he makes a last-minute decision to quit before he gets fired. But now what? Well, he has more time to spend with his breakfast gang, composed of those who have stopped working, can’t work, or have an archaic role hanging by a thread.

One of the more colorful companions is Paul Raci as the aged artist Cy. He’s far more biting than Elliot, barking back at clients who demand a little more magenta. That said, he’s prone to relent if there’s some money on the table, given how he hasn’t been able to sell much art in his lifetime. Thankfully, luck is on this group’s side, and their morning coffee is anything but quiet. They’re bitter about being surpassed by the next generation, but they don’t have to fret for long. The young lean on the old-timers, especially Elliot, when a team of millennial marketers needs a strong campaign for socks. Elliot has no problem tossing these folks a slogan so good he can practically foretell they’ll come crawling back for more. Maybe his recent dream of a pancake diner will come to life if he can score some money. Maybe his friends will pitch in to make his new business a success. Who am I kidding? You know it’ll work out for this quirky group.

Having endured these wholesome dalliances of aged actors, I try to coast on the overall vibes and hope the sugary charisma makes up for the lower stakes. From this angle, the film is fine. There are some good performances and some pleasing paths, even if there’s a petering out of a few plotlines. There’s a handful of fun exchanges, including a mildly appeasing negotiation with a boss played by Toby Huss. The overall tone is also fairly relaxed, where even the usual loud bluster of Huss is given a chill pill to not be too rough on the other old-timers. I could’ve used a few more of Kind’s witty retorts and commentary, as I did smirk at how he keeps referring to his flaws as making him a drug that can put people to sleep.

Not Dead Yet is comfort food for elders, and it’s still tasty despite being so familiar. It leans a bit too heavily on wish fulfillment at times, but the tone is light and sweet, with solid performances from a notable cast. I would say the film could use more time to hang out with these lovable characters, but it might get too sugary. It’s best to keep a film this sweet short, lest one get a cavity from Kind’s kindness.