Older screenwriters have long complained that Hollywood favors youth. People of all ages watch movies and television shows, but many advertisers target younger viewers. They theorize that older audiences have already developed brand loyalty and are less likely to be influenced by pitches for new products. Advertisers also believe that older consumers are less likely to need new products or to make impulse purchases. To attract the desired demographic, many advertisers want movies and TV shows to appeal to young audiences.
Writers of all ages produce engaging scripts, but life experience allows older writers to bring depth and perspective to their work. Older writers may also be less inclined to portray senior characters as stereotypically befuddled, grumpy, and resistant to change. When older writers can’t find work, movies and television shows are more likely to perpetuate those stereotypes.
Senior Audiences Are Dissatisfied
Older audience members are not satisfied with the way seniors are portrayed in screenplays. A recent AARP survey of people over the age of 50 found widespread dissatisfaction with the stereotypes of older adults that pervade movies and television shows.
Most older viewers do not believe that seniors are portrayed accurately in films and TV. Almost four of five survey participants told AARP that they would “prefer stories and characters that represent real-life experiences of older adults.” They note that older adults are rarely portrayed as active, as learning new things, or as belonging to a productive workforce.
An even higher percentage of participants agreed that actors and screenwriters who are 50 and older “bring unique perspectives and talents that are underrepresented in film.” And 73% told AARP that they would be more likely to watch movies and television shows “if characters were closer to their age and story lines more like their life experiences.”
Movies for Grownups
How Hollywood will react to the survey is uncertain. However, it cannot escape the industry’s notice that the fastest growing group of consumers in the United States are over the age of 60. Producing films and shows that appeal to an older audience only makes good business sense.
The industry has, albeit gradually, come to recognize that seniors deserve to be represented in Hollywood productions. Nearly half of this year’s Emmy acting awards went to actors who were at least 50, while the percentage of Academy Award nominees in that age range have increased fourfold in the last 30 years.
The AARP offers a less glamorous alternative to Academy Awards and Emmys with its annual Movies for Grownups Awards. This year’s award for Best Picture went to A Complete Unknown, a biopic about folk-rock legend Bob Dylan. The iconic singer-songwriter, now 83, might be relatively unknown to music consumers who did not encounter his songs when they were fresh. The movie (starring Timothy Chalamet) may inspire younger people to appreciate the poetry and power of Dylan’s lyrics.
At 72, Jacques Audiard won AARP’s Best Director award for Emilia Pérez, a daring movie about a transgender crime boss in Mexico. Winnie Holzman, 70, shared the Best Screenwriter award with her co-writer for their movie adaptation of the play Wicked.
Demi Moore, 62, won the Best Actress award for her portrayal in The Substance of an aging actress who takes a youth potion to stay relevant in Hollywood. The movie sends a biting message about ageism in Hollywood. Moore won a Critics Choice Award and has been nominated for an Oscar for her performance. The comparatively young Adrian Brody (51) won Best Actor for his work in The Brutalist.
Movies ideally bring generations together. The Best Intergenerational Award went to Thelma, in which June Squibb (94) portrays a phone-scam victim who decides to get even with her scammer. Squibb made her Broadway debut in Gypsy in 1959 but did not act in a movie until she was 61. She has since appeared in Scent of a Woman, The Age of Innocence, In & Out, and About Schmidt, among other films.
Calling attention to older actors, writers, and directors may help counter the perception that only young people appeal to audiences. As the nation grows older, Hollywood may lose a large and vital audience if it fails to produce stories that reflect the diverse and meaningful ways that older adults contribute to society.