A growing number of feature length films are now portraying the experiences of older adulthood. A recent article in The Guardian reported: “It is estimated that around a third of forthcoming Hollywood productions are being made with an eye on older audiences.” (Cox, 2012) Indeed, well over 70 major motion pictures portraying something of aging and elderhood have been released in just the past seven years.

Movies have long been a large part of the vast societal mirror in which we see ourselves. As such, we can expect to see in them how our culture perceives and positions the core of living in one’s later years. As our society becomes more familiar with the growing presence of older adults, the question of how to “age successfully” finds more resonance as well, and is reflected back to us in some of the films showing the experiences of older characters.

Read full review in The Gerontologist