I’m looking forward to seeing the movie The Intern which opens later this month. Robert DeNiro stars as a 70 year old widower who tires of retirement and goes back to work as an intern in a fashion business run by Anne Hathaway’s character. I like both DeNiro and Hathaway. And as I have moved into my 70s I find that I have become much more interested in movies with characters facing issues related to aging.

The DeNiro/Hathaway movie is being heavily promoted, so its backers must think that this movie about an older guy will be a success. I’m not sure if it’s because the “Baby Boomers” have now become older adults, but there seem to be a lot of good movies lately about aging.

Here is a list of a dozen recent ones. (Links are to the IMDB description). I particularly recommend “The Passage of Time” a thoughtful documentary which is available free online at Vimeo. Please email me at Webmail@paelderlaw.com if you have additions to suggest.

A Short History of Decay (2014)

Alive Inside (2014)

Amour (2012)

I’ll See You in my Dreams (2015)

Lullaby (2014)

Philomena (2013)

Quartet (2012)

Redwood Highway (2013)

Still Alice (2015)

Still Mine (2012)

The Passage of Time (2013) a documentary (available on Vimeo)

This is Where We Live (2013)

And here is a link to an academic paper on portrayals of aging in recent American films: “Back in the Saddle Again: Ethics, Visibility, and Aging on Screen.” Downloadable for free: https://anthro-age.pitt.edu/…/anth…/issue/view/23/showToc.

Reader Comments

A movie I enjoyed is “5 Flights Up”, with Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton as a couple married 40 years who are considering selling their apartment, because they are having problems navigating the 5 flights of stairs (no elevator).  It’s available on DVD or Blu-ray. R.S.

A light-hearted addition to your Movie List for the aging, is A Walk in the Woods, starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, and Emma Thompson. Very funny. P.S.