I arrived at another theory the other day about why you see fewer older female leading ladies: It’s the plastic surgery! I know they all get plastic surgery in an attempt to combat ageism, but the plastic surgery so often ends up making them look soooooo bad! I saw Melanie Griffith interviewed on TV last week. I don’t know what she’s done to her face, but she looks like a circus sideshow! Plus, her face is now totally lopsided–like the nerves have been severed or something. I would much rather look at Winona Ryder on the big screen–not because she is young, but because she isn’t a hideous deformed mutant freak.
I am going to see Space Cowboys tonight. I wonder if any of the geezers will have teenage girlfriends. (In all fairness, I have always had a MAJOR thing for Donald Sutherland…)
Also, in response to Padeye–did you see the Drew Carey show where he was dating Shirley Jones? Okay, so Drew Carey is no Matt Damon, but it was still an interesting pairing. But yes, their age difference was the big plot device.
About “American Beauty”(possible spoiler),
At the risk of sounding like a pedantic movie snob, I think the difference between this movie and most of the other movies mentioned in this thread was that Kevin Spacey’s lust for Mena Suvari was really just symptomatic of deeper desires. Spacey’s character felt trapped and emasculated in the “perfect life” he had built up with Annette Bening. His lust for Mena Suvari was really the outer manifestation of his desire to have his own youth back, and the sense of invulnerability and boundlesss possibilities that come with being a teenager. (Remember the scene when he’s buying dope from the neighbor kid and remarks how he had to work flipping burgers for a whole summer to buy an 8-track. The neighbor kid says “that sucks.” but Spacey gets all misty eyed and says “No. It was great! All I did was party!”)
I think the difference between “American Beauty” and, say, “Entrapment” with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones is that Connery is proving how virile he is by scoring with the sexy younger woman. It is a mark of his manhood. Whereas, in “Beauty” Spacey’s lust is shown to be a sign of how much he’s lost in life and a character flaw. (Spacey, of course, redeems himself when he decides NOT to bed Suvari.)
I absolutely agree with the OP. I will NOT be going to see that Richard Gere/Winona Ryder movie for this precise reason. And things like Michael Douglas and Gwenyth Paltrow or Sean Connory and Catherine Zeta-Jones – the only line those young women should be saying to those men is “Hi, Dad!”
SPOKE says:
I don’t think this is true, actually. If you take away power and/or money from either or both parties, I think most people tend to date people about their same age. And don’t get me wrong – I can see ten years or so. But fifteen years? Twenty? Forty?
I agree that successful older men get younger women – some of them unabashed gold-diggers, like Anna-Nicole Smith and Leona Helmsly. The problem is that the movies don’t reflect this – it’s always some old geezer some dewy young thing falls in love with just for his own sweet ol’ self. That, by and large, is a fantasy.
Oh, phooey. I don’t think anyone here is pointing out the idiocy in pairing Sean Connory and C-Z-J because, secretly, we really want him. It’s objectionable because it doesn’t reflect reality and it perpetuates the idea that only very young women are attractive and desireable.
You know, as a relatively young woman, I would NEVER date a man I thought had the idea in the back of his head that it was okay for old guys to date young girls because some day HE’LL be old and want to “trade up” to some nubile young thing. And since you didn’t include young women in the list of people likely to object to these fantastic pairings, believe me, we do, precisely because they are so unrealistic.
Because it is older women who are adversely affected by the implicit idea that older women (which Hollywood apparently and ridiculously considers any woman over 30 to be) are not attractive and/or do not have relationships worth illustrating on film. And it is young women who are required by these films to suspend their sense of disbelief far enough to buy into the idea that someone their age would actually date some wrinkled old relic thirty years older than she. I wouldn’t. In real life, I don’t think Winona would, either. And I don’t have to spend my money to subsidize some middle-aged Hollywood guy’s idea of how he wants his old age to be.
Sorry if this got a little rant-like, but this bugs the crap out of me, and I’ve personally resolved that I’m not going to see anymore of this type of movie.
Well to paraphrase something Bill Maher said, Hollywood will stop puting old men in romantic roles when women stop wanting to screw Sean Connery.
Most of the movies that are being referenced here are chick flicks. Richard Gere has never never been in a movie made for guys. Every movie he has ever been in has been targeted to female audiences. Remember Hollywood has no conscience or morals, they will produce what sells, and what seems to sell to women are movies with Gere, Redford, Beatty, and the rest of the Viagra crowd.(On the other hand I have no idea why women love Connery, his characters are always rude, womenizing, and usurous. Guys watch him cause the beats the crap out of the bad guy, insults his enemy, and screws the chick)
Who said anything about “trading up?” I’m talking about young guys who maybe can’t get a date now comforting themselves by thinking that when they’re older and more successful, maybe they will be able to woo a Wynona Ryder.
Fact is, women are attracted to success. Some may be conscious gold diggers, as you point out, but I think for many women, it is more subtle, and financial success is one factor in a formula of “attractiveness”. After all, there is an evolutionary advantage to choosing a successful mate, is there not?
Another fact is that most men don’t achieve financial success until later in life. Hence you see older man/young woman pairings with some frequency. (By the way, do you seriously deny that you see older men/younger women pairings much more frequently than you see older women/younger men?)
I think Bill Maher and wolfman got it right. Hollywood will stop puting old men in romantic roles when women stop wanting to screw Sean Connery. These movies are cast with the goal of making money. Period.
Recently:Red Corner, The Jackal, and First Knight were all “guy movies”. His biggest hits may have been targeted at women, but it’d be pretty far from the truth to say that most of his films are “chick flicks”.
Lawmill, First Knight was a chick flick. A romantic triangle with no action? come on please. Red Corner was pointless anti-China propaganda(not that I support the Chinese government, but the film was made as a political statement,not to be enjoyed). I drew a complete blank on the Jackal until I looked it up, and the reviews Ilooked at quick say it sucked.
I stand by the intent of my original statement(I meant it a sarcastic exagerated way anyway), in fact you helped proved the statemente with your counterexample. Richard Gere’s non chick flicks have been poorly recieved and financially unsuccessful. He is only a comercial success in sappy crap that is market to women.
Holywood does this because it makes money, plain and simple. Jodi’s got the right idea: If you don’t like these ridiculous May- (or March-) December pairings, then don’t go see the movies that have them. If enough people decide to do that, they won’t make as much money, and they’ll stop making movies like that. By the way, what is the age difference between Connery and Zeta-Jones, anyway? I’m thinking 30, 35 years? Sheesh!
I find it all very offensive and repulsive. I twinge at the idea of dating someone ten years older–but 20? 30? EEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!
When I saw the preview for the Richard Gere-Winona Ryder flick, I was stunned that they were supposed to be a romantic couple. He should be playing her father! Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones? :::twitch twitch twitch::: That’s just wrong. And that flick with Clint Eastwood and Rene Russo bugged the heck out of me too–watching her kiss him honestly grossed me out. He’s not that attractive anymore, and it just made me think of some young(ish) thing macking with my grandfather. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…can’t believe I just said that…
And, I’m sorry to say, neither is Harrison Ford. Sure, he was a major sex symbol, but everyone gets older. Hollywood needs to let them. Acknowledge: MEN GET OLDER! There are not hordes of PYTs ready to knock down their door when they are old enough to be there father–unless there is money and fame involved. Sure, sometimes it happens, but not 80% of the time as Hollywood portrays.
What really bugs the hell out of me is that oftentimes a young woman who dates a much older man is looking for a father figure to take care of her…Oooh, ooh, I don’t want to grow up! I don’t want to go through the chaotic process of discovering myself and forming my own identity! I’ll just move into your house! …grrr…
Well, a lot of women think you “girls” are wrong. My Fiance, not yet 40, has Connery on her “list*”. Catherine ZJ, on a talk show, LONG after the movie, said she found Connery “one of the sexiest men i have ever known”, Polls show the same thing.
Yes, there are a few of these 'aging leading men", but there are also older female sex symbols, or have you forgotten Sophia loren in “ready to wear” just a while ago? Besides, only a very few men can carry it off, and they deserve it.
note that I have Raquel Welch and B. Eden on mine, both older than me, and still sexy!
Not me. I’ve never dated anyone more than 10 years older than me. I do not find someone the same age as my grandfather attractive. I don’t care if you have more money than god (or Bill Gates.)
Guanolad, I do love his accent. I think he was pretty darn hot as James Bond.
…in a related issue, has anyone ever noticed how the networks team up couples on television? In particular: anything with Bob Newhart. Suzanne Pleshette? Mary Frann?
