Movies. Some are worth seeing twice. Some might even be worth seeing three times. Too many aren’t worth seeing at all. Now me — I like movies that tell a story I can believe. A story that says to me, “This is real,” even when I know it isn’t. A story so well told — with characters so utterly believable — that no matter how big the lie, I believe – because I want to believe. After all, isn’t that why we go to movies in the first place? To find truth — in what are essentially lies.
We gather here at Women over 40 Rock! because we, as a group, also want to believe. We want to believe in Woman — in her indomitable spirit. In her – our — innate ability to overcome life’s obstacles and to persevere. We demonstrate this spirit in our everyday lives, mostly unnoticed, and too often in private. But every so often one of our own bursts forth with a talent that, when seen on the silver screen, seems so right — so raw and full of life — that we reach out our arms and pull the very essence of that character right into our souls so that it becomes, in some small way, a part of our collective consciousness.
This is a celebration of those women and, in the end, a personal recommendation of four movies that you simply must watch. For even if you’ve seen them before, each of these is one of those that you can see over and over again.
“Fasten your seat-belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
In the 1950 classic, All About Eve, Bette Davis, in a voice that can only be described as pure Bette Davis, delivered this line with the precision timing for which she was famous. From the first, it’s obvious she knows that, as a 40-year old actress, it’s time for her to step aside and make room for a fresher, younger face. But knowing something and doing something are oftentimes two very different things. Bette’s character isn’t ready to fade away… and we don’t want her to go. She’s wealthy, attractive, and successful, but we find ourselves rooting for her as if she were the some poor downtrodden underdog. It’s a foregone conclusion that she won’t win, but no matter, we cheer her on in her fight against age itself. You didn’t have to know Bette Davis to see how dearly she relished this role.
In 1981, Katharine Hepburn, 74, and Jane Fonda, 44, teamed up with Henry Fonda in the emotionally charged film, On Golden Pond. Playing mother and daughter, Katharine and Jane, tackled, along with Henry, Jane’s real-life father, such disturbing topics as aging and the inevitability a parent’s death. Together, they submerge us in the waters of unresolved family issues. Mother’s and daughter’s differing viewpoints drive this drama to its conclusion. Jane’s character, although grown with a son of her own, still sees the world from a child’s point-of-view. Her pain, and her inability to see her father for the gentle man he has become rather than the tyrant the child in her remembers, keeps her from getting closer to him in his final days. Katharine Hepburn is pure magic. As the older, wiser woman who loves her husband without reservation, she tries to help her daughter see things from another point of view. You will want to have a box of tissues nearby for this one.
Fried Green Tomatoes. What a title! Released in 1991, this is a story woven within a story. It delves deeply into the lives of four extraordinary women. Jessica Tandy, still absolutely beautiful at 82, gives an unforgettable performance as a nursing home resident who, by accident, meets and proceeds to captivate a new friend with her colorful tales of two women in 1920’s Alabama. Kathy Bates, 43, as Evelyn Couch, is a housewife in full-blown midlife crisis. Questioning her marriage, battling with her weight, and trying to figure out her place in the world, she finds new meaning in this older woman’s story, at first living vicariously through the two young women’s lives, but in actuality using those women to find, unmask, and reveal the true woman inside herself. This movie is about empowerment and personal growth. In one scene, Evelyn’s spirited exchange with two young women over a parking space at the food store will delight every woman over the age of 40 who’s wanted to say and do the same thing when confronted with the rudeness of youth:
Evelyn: “Hey! I was waiting for that spot!”
Girl #1: “Face it, lady, we’re younger and faster!”
With that, Evelyn rear-ends the other car. The girls react with amazement and a little fear…
Girl #1: “What are you doing?”
Girl #2: “Are you crazy?”
Evelyn, smiling:“Face it, girls, I’m older and I have more insurance.”
Finally, who wouldn’t enjoy a night with the Calendar Girls? Helen Mirren heads an unforgettable cast of older women in this 2003 British film based on an actual event. Deeply moving while simultaneously humorous, this is one movie that’s in a league of its own. In the face of tragedy, some of the members of a conservative ladies’ club band together to raise money for charity. At first stumped for an idea, they hit upon the idea of creating a calendar. And what a calendar! They would use themselves as models — nude models. With both modesty and dignity intact, they set about their task while fighting the local powers-that-be in order to accomplish their goal. Along the way, they experience their share of disagreements and heartaches, but in the end they ultimately come together– out of love and out of friendship.
Bravo, Ladies– Bravo! Movies like these are Pure Entertainment. But Oh! — how they make us believe.
Now, would someone please pass the popcorn?
Posted by Mandy Crest, blogger for In The Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website for Women Over 40!
