Coming of age

Over the last month, there have been Congressional hearings, protests and state legislation to combat Hollywood’s perceived ageism.

California Governor Gray Davis signed a Bill to help ‘‘educate the entertainment industry about the lucrative and untapped market of consumers over 40’’.

In 1990, young adults between 16 and 20 made up 20 per cent of the audience. In 2000, the number shrank to 17 per cent while that of movie-goers aged 50 to 59 rose to 10 per cent.

This year, older women will be seen at the movies: Susan Sarandon and Goldie Hawn in The Banger Sisters, Michelle Pfeiffer in White Oleander, and Patricia Clarkson in Welcome to Collinwood and Far From Heaven.

But — and this is pertinent but — none of those roles show the women as sexually desirable. Hawn’s pathetic ageing groupie character may be the sole exception.

Sisters producer Mark Johnson said it was ‘‘very difficult to find a home for the movie’’. ‘‘It’s not the stuff the studios want.’’ The movie was finally made for $10 million: Sarandon and Hawn were paid $500,000 each.

Hollywood’s notion of an older woman-younger man love affair is casting ‘‘Jennifer Aniston as the older woman’’, she said, referring to The Good Girl. ‘‘Women my age want to see themselves reflected on the screen. I know that life for us remains interesting.’’ (Reuters)