Devoted To Choir, In Life And Death To gag or to weep, that is the question. You may do both while watching "Unfinished Song," a shamelessly sentimental, manipulative comic tear-jerker about a British chorus, the OAPz (for Old-Age Pensioners); a grumpy old man; and his saintly wife. Because Arthur, the curmudgeon, and Marion, his angelic "better half," if you'll excuse the cliché, are played by Terence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave, the movie, originally titled "Song for Marion," has more emotional clout than you might reasonably expect from a piece of inspirational hokum. As usual, Ms. Redgrave's compassionate gaze and dreamy half-smile convey several lifetimes of experience. Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams, "Unfinished Song" belongs to the school of "The Full Monty" and "Calendar Girls" in its vision of stolid, working-class Britons banding together. Its comic gimmick, borrowed from the documentary "Young@Heart," is the OAPz repertory of rock, pop and rap songs. Watch them as they tear into Salt-N-Pepa's "Let's Talk About Sex" or the B-52"s "Love Shack" with the gusto of superannuated teenagers. But when they don heavy-metal gear to deliver Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" at an outdoor concert, they look more than a little ridiculous. There is no escaping the fact that as much as the movie lavishes affection on these singers, it patronizes them by presenting them as likable, jolly old fools. The suds machine kicks in from the outset when Marion, who is being treated for cancer, learns she has only months to live. Her fiercely protective husband insists that she stay at home and rest, but Marion, a devoted chorister who is beloved among the group members, insists on continuing for as long as she can. After she dies, about halfway into the movie, the chorus's unflappably chipper young director, Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton), coaxes Arthur to join and participate in a regional choir competition. The lazy, formulaic screenplay settles for types and stock plot mechanics that gloss over dramatic situations without developing them. Elizabeth, for all her generosity and high spirits, is unable to relate to her own age group. No reason given. The cold, critical Arthur, for reasons that are never adequately explained, is estranged from his grown-up son, James (Christopher Eccleston), an auto mechanic with an 8-year-old daughter. Will they reconcile? Not all the musical numbers are milked for comedy. Just before her death, Marion sings a wrenching solo rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," directed at Arthur, that says more about their relationship than anything else in the film. Once Arthur reveals that he has a voice and overcomes his shyness, he sings Billy Joel's "Lullaby" as a quiet posthumous tribute to Marion. It may be hokum, but it gets to you. "Unfinished Song" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for some sexual references and rude gestures. Unfinished Song Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams; director of photography, Carlos Catalan; edited by Dan Farrell; music by Laura Rossi; production design by Sophie Becher; costumes by Jo Thompson; produced by Philip Moross and Ken Marshall; released by the Weinstein Company. In Manhattan at the Paris Theater, 4 West 58th Street. Running time: 1 hour 36 minutes. WITH: Terence Stamp (Arthur), Gemma Arterton (Elizabeth), Christopher Eccleston (James), Vanessa Redgrave (Marion), Anne Reid (Brenda), Elizabeth Counsell (Cheryl) and Ram John Holder (Charlie).