**This class will be taught In-Person**
The Hollywood movie industry has always been driven by youth culture and beauty. So it is not a surprise that film characters in their 60s and older are dramatically underrepresented in cinema as compared to their representation in our population. Moreover, according to quantitative surveys, “old age” is shown in Hollywood films through a narrative of decline, often providing a distorted picture. This course will examine ageism in Hollywood filmmaking from several perspectives, beginning with industry studies that define the issue, followed by 20th century movie narratives about older stars; how “age-ing out” impacts actors based on gender; actors and actresses who are bucking the system; pros and cons of the latest technology trend in filmmaking—CGI and anti-aging software; and a review of age appropriate film narratives with accurate depictions.
Week by Week Outline
Week 1— Introduction and Overview: Identification of the ageism issue in the Hollywood movie industry, offering the latest statistics, issues and trends, as well as an overview of how the industry has addressed age in film narratives from the 20th century. Films discussed: Music is Magic (1935), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950), On Golden Pond (1981), Cocoon (1985).
Week 2— Gender and Ageism in Film: “Age-ing out” in the movie business happens to both men and women, but ageism is significantly more problematic for female actors who tend to be cast based on youth and beauty. This session will address this phenomenon, and how some older actresses have been successful in bucking the trend. Films spotlighting actress-and women-aging narratives will include: All About Eve (1950), The Star (1952), Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Ash Wednesday (1973), Fedora (1978), Death Becomes Her (1992), The Congress (2013) and The Substance (2024).
Week 3—Anti-Aging Technology and the Aging Male Action Hero: This session will analyze the newest technology trends in filmmaking, including the use of CGI and de-aging software, and what impact these developments are having on older actors’ viability. In many cases, de-aging benefits male action adventure stars who are enjoying longer careers as a result. Among films discussed: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Irishman (2019), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Rocky Balboa (2006), Creed (2015). Guest speaker: Representative from Lucasfilm (pending availability).
Week 4—Fairy Tale Cinema and Ageism: The fairy-tale movie genre frequently pits aging/evil women characters against young heroines. This class will include a “Snow White” case study about recent films of this popular fairy tale, noting how each movie addresses female ageism as it relates to the story’s Evil Queen. Films discussed: Mirror, Mirror (2012), Snow White and The Huntsman (2012), The Brothers Grimm (2005), and Stardust (2007).
Weeks 5 and 6—Age Appropriate Film Narratives with Accurate Depictions: Depictions of ageing in many films often propagate stereotypes and the many stigmas attached to getting older. Film narratives that strike the right balance aren’t plentiful, but do exist. These final two class sessions will examine films with realistic depictions that fall into various genres—comedy, romantic comedy, drama and science fiction. Class participants will be asked to review two films for discussion in each class. Films include: Harry and Tonto (1974), Waking Ned Devine (1998), Robot and Frank (2011), Quartet (2012), Love Is Strange (2014), The Intern (2015), Driveways (2019), Plan 75 (2022), Driving Madeleine (2022), Perfect Days (2023), and Thelma (2024).