Starred in 90s and 00s romantic comedies such as flirt and ObsessedNicole Kidman’s latest movie, Netflix family affairs, which brought her firmly back into the genre. The Hollywood star plays Brooke, who has an affair with younger man/movie star Chris (Kidman’s Newsboy Co-star Zac Efron plays a character who, to the horror of her twenty-something daughter Zara (Joy King), is his underappreciated assistant.
Kidman, 57, is the latest Oscar-winning actor over 40 to absolutely slay romantic comedy heroines. Directed by Richard LaGravenese, family affairs Join the ranks of similar movies Oh mom!, How Stella got back to her bestand more recently, your thoughtsfighting snobbery and sexism among Hollywood studios and audiences has long given romantic comedy its own And who “should” lead them. These films champion the sexuality, autonomy, and joy of self-discovery for women of any age.
Remember “The Paperboy”: Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron’s pairing shocked the world
people think See women over 40 in romantic comedies. And actors think Make these movies.
Kidman’s role comparison family affairs Anne Hathaway, 41, appears Fan fiction adapted into movie your thoughts What happened earlier this year was inevitable. The film tells the story of a 40-something divorcee who begins a relationship with a 20-something member of the world’s biggest boy band (played by 29-year-old Nicholas Galitzin).
Nicholas Galitzin and Anne Hathaway star in “On Your Mind.”
Image Credit: Amazon MGM Studios
“It’s supposed to be a story about a woman in her late 40s rediscovering her sexuality and rediscovering herself, at a time when society has traditionally excluded women,” your thoughts Author Robin Lee tells Fashion 2020. However, Hathaway’s casting was met with backlash, with many criticizing her choice of genre and believing Hathaway would be the 2012 Oscar winner. Pitiful.
one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter)“, “The lady from Les Miserables is now writing Harry-esque fan fiction… Anne Hathaway’s status has declined. Another wrote”, “When I saw the business card of Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway, something died inside me.
The thing is, Hathaway is already done many She has appeared in romance, comedy, and rom-com films during her career: love and other drugs, intern, Valentine’s Day, bride wars, The Devil Wears Prada, etc. Hathaway herself has pushed back against these attitudes, saying at SXSW that she didn’t want to be “isolated.” “I don’t want to be restricted into what type of movies I have to make because of my age, my gender, and because I won an Oscar. I want to have fun, damn! It speaks to me,” Hathaway reportedly said. Kidman also revealed her main motivation for taking on the role family affairs is to “have fun” after the intense work of Lulu Wang’s Prime Video series, foreigneraccording to interviews The Hollywood Reporter.
Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in “Housework.”
Photo credit: Tina Roden/Netflix
The idea that more mature actresses shouldn’t be in romantic comedies because they’re too experienced or not suited to stories of self-discovery is simply misogyny. Why can’t women enjoy themselves when they reach a certain age? This disdain for middle-aged romance heroines also feels like an attempt to limit what aspects of the female experience we see on screen.
Snobbery about romantic comedies dates back to the 1930s
What’s more, people think Go see these movies. When launching, family affairs Beats Jessica Alba to become Netflix’s most-watched movie of the week trigger warning and Glen Powell’s killer. It currently has 26.8 million views. at the same time, your thoughtsA record-breaking release on Prime Video, it absorbed the cultural zeitgeist, attracting nearly 50 million viewers in two weeks and becoming Amazon MGM’s No. 1 romantic comedy.
Taking back the romantic comedy space
Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s and older in Hollywood are reclaiming the romantic comedy space, and they’re not just supporting characters playing best friends or mothers; they’re the main event, finding love and solving problems. exist family affairs, We see Brooke’s feeling “irrelevant” in her screenwriting job, the tricky dilemma of motherhood, her decision to have casual sex with Chris and the liberation she feels from it, as well as her worries about taking risks after turning 50. She emotionally unravels her previous marriage, asking her mother-in-law (a talented performer from Kathy Bates) whether she can take risks as a mother, and her dissatisfaction with the feeling of having to choose between the two.
Ultimately, seeing women of these ages represented in romantic comedies reminds us that sexual desire and pleasure don’t disappear as we age.
In addition to Hathaway and Kidman, 59-year-old Brooke Shields stars in Netflix’s latest release mother of the bride As Lana. As the title suggests, this romantic comedy centers not on Lana’s daughter’s wedding and romantic choices, but on her own past and present. There’s even a flirtation with a young man played by 42-year-old Chad Michael Murray.
Ultimately, seeing women of these ages represented in romantic comedies reminds us that sexual desire and pleasure don’t disappear as we age. This should be cause for celebration, allowing multiple generations to realize their aspirations and get the representation they deserve.
“Mamma Mia!” forever.
Image source: Moviestore/Shutterstock
That’s not to say people aren’t hungry for romantic comedy stories that represent all ages. well-loved Oh mom!starring 59-year-old Meryl Streep, With a budget of US$52 million, the global box office reached US$694 million.not to mention sequel. Veteran romantic comedienne J-Lo releases her latest rom-com marry me 52 years old, Julia Roberts 54 years old ticket to paradise. Angela Bassett played a woman in her 40s dating a man in his 20s in 1998 How Stella got back to her best At 40 years old. Emma Thompson perfectly sums up the many difficult questions surrounding older women’s sexuality. Good luck, Leo Grandeand Netflix grace and frankie Starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda (now 84 and 86 respectively), the film is a masterclass in showing why pursuing love or the top of your career in life never matters It’s not too late, and on the other hand, as a woman, it’s so hard to get older.
Popular stories that can be mixed and matched
And the trend doesn’t stop there. Reese Witherspoon, 48, will also star in the 2025 romantic comedy Sincerely invite you Alongside Will Ferrell. When it comes to the actress’ place in the romantic comedy realm, Witherspoon has been vocal that she’s here to stay. It’s perhaps no coincidence, then, that her production company, Hello Sunshine, was founded with the mission of telling women’s stories in mind.
Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in the upcoming You’re Yours
Photo credit: Glenn Wilson
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop making romantic comedies,” she told vanity fair Interviewed to promote the release of her 2023 romantic comedy Your place is still my placein which she stars alongside Ashton Kutcher.
“They’re very important to me. It’s my favorite genre because it makes people feel good,” she explains. “This story is even more special because we have different voices and different perspectives telling the story. Our film tells the story of a single mom in her 40s who gets a second chance and finds love. You don’t usually see that in See this in romantic comedies.
As Witherspoon says, it’s not necessarily about older women just starring in romantic comedies – although there’s certainly a lot of snobbery and sexism in that – but it’s about them telling honest stories about being that age without being constantly over-focused Building romance and a career in your 20s.
The transformation of the representation of women over 40 in film is a pushback against stereotypes, the limitations of being “boxed” in certain roles, and patriarchal norms within and outside Hollywood.
Innocence means TikToker Therese’s theory on how misogyny and slavery intersect Describe the impact that such a cultural shift could have, in terms of on-screen manifestations of influence, in influencing the way we think and thereby the social change that activists, lawyers and other change makers demand and subsequently push for.
In the video, Teresa asks: “Why do you think conservative men are so afraid of, especially the Hollywood and music industries? Because they know how much influence these industries have on culture. And cultural change is the precursor to social change.”
Hollywood is still obsessed with age. It should focus on fun.
Women can have moments or chapters of self-discovery at any time and many times throughout their lives – didn’t Elizabeth Gilbert teach us that? Eat, Pray & Love? Romantic comedies starring women over 40 (and beyond) help normalize the idea that starting an exciting new chapter in life, or discovering a new part of yourself, can happen at any time. But Hollywood has been dragging its feet on this kind of performance.
Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in “Housework.”
Photo credit: Tina Roden/Netflix
“Scholars have written at length about Hollywood’s obsession with youth and the double standards of aging men and women on screen. So it’s great to see women over 40 getting more diverse roles. Dr. Alice Guilluy, romantic comedy expert and Met Film School scholar Tell Mashable. She added that the use of an “elderly heroine” challenges the notion of “happily ever after” that permeates romantic comedies and shows that all of life’s problems can be solved indefinitely through romance in your 20s.
“[Happily ever after] There’s no room for the romantic chaos of real life: fights, routines… and breakups,” she explains. “In that regard, having middle-aged characters who have experienced ‘happily ever after’ time and time again is liberating because it shakes up the conventions of the genre.”
Furthermore, why shouldn’t our romantic comedies reflect the realities of modern day life and the transformation of how we want to live our lives? People are getting married later and later – The average age at first marriage is now 31, down from 23, the lowest age in the 20th century, in 1970 — Women choose to stay single longer and Having a family in old ageas well. It’s important that our on-screen stories reflect and defend these facts.
More than anything, what Hathaway, Kidman, and Witherspoon have in common in their reviews of mainstream romantic comedies of any age is that they all want to prioritize entertainment, which for women of a certain age, Priorities are often out of whack.
“Fun, joy and play are incredible tools for empowerment and change,” she said. “There is a wealth of research on how the human brain learns, adapts and innovates more effectively in an open state of play. So when female actors enjoy choosing romantic comedies, it’s not just about them as individuals exploring who they are and what the world is like. What a great place to offer, and that same energy is contagious through the art.
Seeing that women of all ages enjoy watching romantic comedies family affairs and your thoughts A perfect rejection of patriarchal stereotypes on screen.
“Watching women, especially older women, embrace life with open arms reassures viewers that they can have a life outside of the constraints imposed by society,” Innocent said.
family affairs Now streaming on Netflix.
