I recall sitting in a movie theater in 2003, to catch
‘Something’s Gotta Give’, the film starring Jack Nicholson and
Dianne Keaton. I’m not a fan of most of today’s romantic
comedies, but I am a Nicholson fan, so I took a chance. I won’t
give a film review here; rather, I’d like to share something I
experienced in the theater.
At the beginning of the movie, we are presented with Nicholson’s
character. He’s a sixty-something playboy, involved with a much
younger woman, played by Amanda Peet. Very soon, we are treated
to the impending prospect of these two characters ‘getting it
on’. Seated a row or two in front of me was a group of young
women, all in their mid to late twenties. As the implications of
the aforementioned scene began to get through to the audience,
I, and a number of other patrons, overheard one of the young
women exclaim, ‘Oh God! She’s gonna do Grandpa!’, at which
point, there was a ripple of laughter throughout our seating
section.
I must admit, I found the exclamation not only amusing, but as
well, rather ‘telling’, like the end of the old children’s tale,
‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’. You know, the one where a little
child, in his completely honest observation, points out what his
elders all know, but refuse to acknowledge, due to the old
‘herd’ mentality. In the tale, it’s the fact that the Emperor is
not wearing a suit of clothes to die for, no, he is buck-naked!
In the movie, it’s the fact that viewers are to believe that
this young woman finds this over-sixty man, sexually attractive,
and highly desirable.
There have recently been, and probably will continue to be,
these age-gap romantic pairings, in films. One element will
always remain the same, with these pairings. It will ever be
movies with the older male, paired with the younger, sometimes
MUCH younger, female, which the film industry will continually
grind out, expecting the viewing public to swallow this scenario
as believable. Which makes me wonder from what planet do these
filmmakers hale? Honestly, when was the last time you noticed a
young woman eyeing some average sixty year old man, (and the key
phrase here is, ‘average’ sixty year old man, not some man
coated with the sheen of wealth, power and celebrity, as
desire-incentives) with total lust gleaming in her dewy eyes?
Did you see this at the local mall, the beach, some concert, or
sporting event? I can honestly state, I’ve never seen it. In
addition, I can honestly state, when I was a dewy eyed girl in
my twenties, men older than thirty were just, well, ‘old’.
Ah, but the world of film is a world of ‘fantasy’, is it not? If
the idea of the Nicholson-Peet type romantic pairing is the
stuff of which filmmakers believe their viewers’ fantasies are
made, I have a few more pairings, for their consideration, for
future romantic couplings. The following age-gap pairings, as
far as I’m concerned, should be just as believable as the recent
Nicholson-Peet offering, and could rouse a great deal of
interest in another segment of the viewing populace, women, age
forty and over.
Let’s have a film depicting a torrid, romantic love affair
between Susan Sarandon and Orlando Bloom, shall we? Follow this
film with one starring Meryl Streep and Tobey Maguire, as
perfectly paired, soul, and bedmates. Then, I suggest a film
starring Barbara Streisand and Brad Pitt, in which they burn up
the screen with long, steamy lovemaking scenes. I doubt
seriously that we’d hear the word Viagra mentioned once, in
these films!
All of the above pairings have an age-gap which films have
presented, with the male in the ‘older’ lover category.
Therefore, I feel perfectly confident that the age-gap pairing
where it’s the older woman, who’s considered marvelously
captivating, infinitely fascinating, completely irresistible,
and utterly sexually desirable, would be viewed with as much
believability. Why not, when film-goers are asked to swallow the
idea that twenty-something girls, and young women in their early
thirties, dream of having sixty or even seventy year old men
making love to them!
One last thought directed to filmmakers…Mr. Nicholson was far
more visually pleasing, paired with Ms. Keaton, than he was,
cuddled up with Ms. Peet. Isn’t it odd? In an industry in which
youthful appearance is everything, it isn’t realized how really
‘aged’ the mature actor looks, paired with a young female, as
his love interest.
Ah, but it is ‘just the movies’, just fantasy, after all. And in
fantasy, even the ridiculously improbable, is possible.
Jeannine Schenewerk http://www.intouchwithjeannine.com