Aging and Cinema Meet—On Good Terms

Good news for those of us looking for positive role models! Women are finally being looked at more accurately in cinema, though with some constraints...

A lovely NY Times article printed on February 21, 2010, profiles the amazing career of Meryl Streep. And though themes of middle age are subdued in the article we can see evidence of this incredible actor in her prime as a woman who embodies seductiveness and aging gracefully.

Don’t get me wrong, both recent films for which Streep is acclaimed express an inherent class advantage. It’s Complicated obviously reaches toward upper middle-class women: wide-angle views of wealth and privilege dominate the film via the lush green gardens and lovely home that Meryl’s character inhabits. At least Julie and Julia shows the struggles of a woman trying to reach her potential in the shadow of a successful man.

But so few films describe middle age female sexuality in an accurate way. Both characters in Streep’s recent films love sex and are not ashamed of this fact. And though the two films can be criticized because of the familiar story of a woman coming to life because of male attention, I must admire the way that Steep and her directors provide us with role models of female sexuality in middle age. The message overall is that middle-aged women do not need men to take care of them, at least intellectually. And intellectual gifts do not need to be ignored in order to be sexual with the male characters.

And let’s consider another wonderful film of the season, Up in the Air. As ultimately heartbreaking as this film is, we saw another main female character, played by Vera Farmiga, call the shots regarding a romantic relationship. She absolutely did not need a man to take care of her and in fact, shows a woman approaching or in middle age get her needs met—and to hell with the consequences.

Women in middle age are becoming the newest target audience of popular cinema, which gives us needed attention. (Finally, we are recognized as having a similar market share as adolescent boys.) And though much groundwork has been done by the amazing directors Nancy Meyers, Nora Ephron, and Jason Reitman, it is we the public that should receive acclaim. Middle-aged women are finally in the minds of those that create the art in cinema and our voices are finally being heard.

We would like more accurate representations of middle-aged women in film. This not only includes the fact that not all of us can wear size 0-2 clothing, but that our success, intelligence, and relative financial independence means that we can make our own choices about the men who share lives with us.

While those of us who want to partner with men can want and need them, we also know that a life without a man need not be the end of the world. Today’s cinema is finally giving us a voice. Though far from perfect, at least there is some expression about how middle-aged women can live without the pressure to conform to male standards. Though of course, we have much farther to go. But recent advances in cinema are setting the stage.