The Concept of This Guide Has Evolved From

OLDER WOMEN IN FEATURE FILMS A RESEARCH GUIDE ABOUT REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN OVER 60 CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................... 1 CASE STUDIES Central Station................................................................................... 5 Driving Miss Daisy ............................................................................. 7 Harold and Maude ............................................................................. 8 Ladies in Lavender .......................................................................... 10 The Mother ...................................................................................... 12 Tatie Danielle................................................................................... 14 Tokyo Story ..................................................................................... 16 The Trip To Bountiful ....................................................................... 17 The Whales Of August..................................................................... 19 General references on Ageism in the Film Industry………………………………21 Searching For Debra Winger ........................................................... 23 Appendix 1a : Background Research ............................................................... 24 Appendix 1b: References to Background Research........................................ 27 Appendix 2a : Research Questionnaire ............................................................ 29 Appendix 2b: Questionnaire Results ............................................................... 30 Filmography...................................................................................................... 34 Availability of Films……………………………………………………………………36 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With particular thanks to Dorrie Bancroft, Alan Hooper and David Tinker and to the project steering group, the University of the Third Age, the British Film Institute and not least the members of the many film groups who watched and commented on the films. This guide was edited by David Sharp with Sean Delaney and designed by Ian O’Sullivan, who also produced the film availability information. Rina Rosselson May 2006. Introduction by Rina Rosselson In this exploratory stage, we defined the with special thanks to Dr Josie Dolan for her objectives of the project as being: advice. • to review existing research and published literature about films This guide has evolved from an interaction featuring a woman over 60 as the between the University of the Third Age (U3A) main protagonist, or playing a and the British Film Institute (BFI). It has been significant part of an ensemble; produced in the spirit of the U3A for the sharing of knowledge. • to compile a filmography of popular films, that as comprehensively as In 2002 the Brent U3A Film Group decided to possible (within the limits of the devote the year to viewing and discussing films project) would identify films in which featuring Older Women. The aim was to learn the main character is an older about film language, whilst exploring our woman, or in which an older woman feelings and thoughts about the representation is a significant part of an ensemble; of older women like ourselves. We wanted to • to produce some reviews and case compare our experiences of life with on-screen studies of particular films and seek accounts. Around the time that we were and report feedback from U3A working on these issues, three films with an members on these films. older woman as central protagonist were released, IRIS (2001), LADIES IN LAVENDER Literature (2004), THE MOTHER (2003). Our concern and sensitivity to the portrayal of older women in Research identified several areas of concern, feature films left us asking questions about the foremost being the virtual absence of where and how these films fitted into the scholarship on older women in film. This is general portrayal of older people in the similar to findings made in UN and EU reports cinema. Consequently, in 2005, under the on women that recognize the invisibility of the Shared Learning scheme of the U3A, we met older woman in the media. In terms of film, the with the BFI’s Lifelong Learning team in order invisibility of older women applies to both to explore the possibility of a joint research actresses and characters. As far as older project about older people in films. It was actors are concerned, statistics of actors decided to hold a Study day at the NFT during organisations in the US and UK indicate an Adult Learners Week in May 2006, but beyond ageist bias in the employment of actors, and that, the nature of the research project was they also point to a gender gap that gets worse very open. with age. A research team composed of U3A members Women’s acting careers seem to suffer from of film groups from London Region and the what one writer calls double jeopardy. Not only home counties was formed to prepare for the do actresses receive fewer roles and have less study day. At the exploratory phase it became star presence than actors, but this difference very clear that, the difference between the increases with age. Contrary to what might be representation of older men and older women expected following second wave feminism, this in Hollywood films was so great that we would pattern has not changed in the US in the be unable to adopt this more inclusive, period between1926 to 1999. Since 1927, 58 comparative approach. We therefore men and 32 women over 60 have been concentrated on ‘older Women in film’. In order nominated for the Academy Awards. to place further limits on a fast expanding area Correspondingly, overall roles available to of research, we also made the decision to older actors far outnumber those for older confine our interest to feature films only. It actresses . This difference has increased was also necessary to define the term ‘older remarkably since the 1960s. A similar pattern women’, since we wanted to avoid the exists in the UK. An article in Equity connotations created by films like THE magazine called ‘Boys Town: Or how the GRADUATE. Therefore, we adopted the Feature Film Industry Conspires to Exclude practice suggested by Age Concern’s Too Old Older Women’ recounts the experiences of for TV? (1999), and other research papers British actors. Overall, a general absence of which employ the definition of 60+. We felt that older actresses in film is compounded by a the correspondence between this definition shortage of roles. This under-representation of and the age range of the research group and older women in films bears no comparison to the U3A membership was crucial. the pattern of the general population. Stereotypes of older women bfi National Library 1 and LADY FOR A DAY portray the tragic and In spite of a huge interest in media portrayals self sacrificing mothers. of women by feminist academics since the 1970s, and in spite of demographic changes, The menacing ‘MOM’ is present in THE the image of the older woman in films has ANNIVERSARY, whilst in PSYCHO ‘MOM’ attracted little academic attention. What little pervades the film with her controlling tyrannical research that does exist appears in Sociology terryfying presence, even though she is never and Gerontology publications and only visibly represented. This last film is interesting considers American produced films. in that Hitchcock’s downbeat ending reveals Worryingly, even in these academic papers an the horrific mother to be a construction of the ageist /sexist bias is sometimes present. diseased mind of the young man. Equally, this published work into From the 50s another type of protagonist representations of older women in American appears: the ageing, embittered, sad and produced films highlights a worrying grotesque actress. The classic SUNSET dependence on stereotypical roles. BOULEVARD (1950) is described sometimes as a metaphor for the end of the studio area in The stereotypes reported are: Hollywood but there is also WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962) and 1- The mother1. Depending on the FEDORA (1978). In WHATEVER HAPPENED TO historical/social circumstances, she can be BABY JANE?, we have the psychotic ex-child wise, strong and loyal, tragic and self- actress, the embittered spinster career woman sacrificing. But equally, she can be the and ‘MOM’ in one film. overprotective, overbearing, repressive, controlling, suffocating Mom. A recent paper Two films, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and the shows that in 1990s a new trend seems to be cult HAROLD AND MAUDE have been identified emerging in that the mother is portrayed as by some U3A members as standing out: in that suffering some sort of dementia. they unsettle pervasive stereotypes of defenceless, sexless older women. In the 2- The rich dowager: often a widow, she can former film, two ‘little harmless old ladies’ turn be feather-brained, a figure of fun or powerful out to be serial killers. In the second, ‘little old ‘ figure of inflexible authority. Maude is full anarchic energy. She inspires in Harold the will to live life to the full, and at 80 3- “... feisty grandmothers, ageing careerists initiates him to sex. Even though she ends her life, it does not diminish the impact of her and sharp tongued spinsters” of the 1930s.2 enduring vitality. 4- Servants, maids, waitresses often of ethnic The 1980s are often considered as producing minority background. a new era for older women in films because three Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role were awarded to Katherine Hepburn

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