Real Love Stories on the Big Screen
In the past few years, we’ve begun to see more movies featuring mature adults as the main characters. Finally, Hollywood has taken note that a huge chunk of the global population is aging.
It has become more realistic to see older adults and seniors as protagonists in feature films. Adventure films, chick flicks, drama and love stories….These speak to the growing market of 55+ and better reflect the world in which we live.
Romance movies featuring older adults are a wonderful step forward from the traditional Hollywood fare. Love stories depicting older adults help change dated stereotypes and negatives myths about this demographic seeking companionship, love, romance and intimacy. For the longest time, we’ve been stuck in a formulaic cycle of love stories focusing on and targeting youth. Senior-centric films thrown into the mix were meant to placate and amuse audiences like Cocoon, Grumpy Old Men and On Golden Pond.
The Rise of Senior-Centric Movies
Thankfully, with the increase in senior-centric love stories, we are seeing genuine relationships and romances that optimistically reflect real lives, are much more inclusive of people of all ages, and are more respectful of the needs of mature audiences. Movies such as The Notebook, Something’s Gotta Give, Love in the Time of Cholera, Space Cowboys, It’s Complicated, Nights in Rodanthe, and Bridges of Madison County vividly illustrate that romance doesn’t end at 55 years old. Seeing mature actors and actresses in these romantic roles is not only optimistic, but it also helps alter attitudes towards older adults, seniors and aging.
Such movies show us that romance is possible for anyone. Love can endure over decades or can be as fleeting as one week. Love can bloom at any age and become a deeper, more meaningful experience; or it can spark into an all-consuming flame and burn out quickly. And sadly, there are never any guarantees for how long it will last no matter how old we are.
Love in movies as in real life can be chaotic, complicated, profound, comforting or tumultuous. It can be a tragedy, comedy, or a blessing. It knows no age limits and no one is ever completely immune to it.
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