Something 's Got Ta Give By Diane Keaton

Robert Butler— a physician, gerontologist, psychiatrist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who was the first director of the National Institute on Aging— described ageism as “[a] process of systematic stereotyping or discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish with skin color and gender. Ageism allows the younger generations to see older people as different than themselves; thus they subtly cease to identify with their elders as human beings.”

These stereotypes, however, are very far from the truth about what occurs during the late adulthood stage. They stem from a form of prejudice referred to as ageism (Berger, 2008). Gerontologists define ageism as “A form of prejudice used to categorize and judge individual based on their chronological age only” (Berger, 2008, p. 615). The issue of ageism can promote patronizing treatment toward persons in the late adulthood stage and even foster discrimination. For example, people in the West unconsciously process

Even though it was Mortimer who made the first move, “Suddenly he found himself trying to help her and in a clumsy way trying to kiss her...” (pg8), Elsie was blamed for the incident and made out to be the villain. Mortimer said “I didn’t know what I was doing (despite the fact that he is more than double her age). She kept asking me. It was her who kept asking me” (pg 9). Elsie’s youth was only mentioned because of the beauty it gave her, “During the summer the face of the girl had reddened with sun and air and as autumn came on it seemed to broaden and flatten, the thick skin ripe and healthy in texture”, (pg8) and not because it may impair her ability to think rationally as opposed to a man over 18 years her senior. These narrow-minded views could very possibly come from the average man in the 1950’s.

Although ageism can be a discrimination used against all ages, it is more typically seen among the senior population. Societal norms ostracise seniors, treat them with contempt, make them feel unwanted and otherwise take a broad view as if they were all the same. Throughout Crash, we witness one form of ageism during the scenes between Officer Ryan, the insurance company, and his father. Officer Ryan’s father is very sick and is in the movie depicted to be in poor health. The father his has been diagnosed with a Urinary tract infection, although the son believes otherwise, and would like to get him further help. The son has a great deal of trouble convincing the insurance company to help his father more so than they have. Officer Ryan decides enough is enough and visits the Insurance company himself, after having a heated discussion earlier with their mid-thirties employee named Shaniqua. During the scene where Officer Ryan is speaking to Shaniqua in her office, she too discriminates against his father’s age with a comment ‘’Well, if he was here, then I could do something’’, implying he is too old to do so, thus discriminating the father for his lack of mobility due to his age. Not only do we witness discrimination between these characters, but Shaniqua takes it to another level by introducing systematic discrimination against the father’s age. Unfortunately, this theme wasn’t one of the last forms

According to the recent studies the older people as compared to the youth are becoming more economically and demographically attractive. However, there are costs of an aging population that the society bears as a whole. (Andrews, 2009)

When I first met this week’s campus celeb, AJ Rebuck ‘15, she was approaching her 30th birthday. She wasn’t fazed by this fact, or clinging onto the last of her youth. “I think 30’s are going to be my time,” she said about the milestone. It was very clear AJ had already redefined what it meant to be in “the best years of your life.” So when we sat down for her interview over lunch at The Trolley Car Café, the first thing I asked was “21 or 31?”

In the fighting and rioting scenes toward the end of his 1989 film Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee uses the misc-en-scene and camera angles to demonstrate that racial tensions are still strong between the white police officers of Brooklyn and its black citizens. He accomplishes this through the various actions the police officers take depicting their poor handling of the situation and the effects of it taken on by the black rioters.

Ninety six percent of people sixty-five and older are nonmovers (Quadagno, 2014, p.203) yet the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) follows seven individuals who are seeking a place that can accommodate their elderly needs. Despite this being a fictional film, the text Aging and the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology (Quadagno, 201) can support the ways in which the film accurately depicts various obstacles associated with aging. Each of the characters in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel overcome ageist social constructions present within western culture but represent that there can still be hope in old age.

Age discrimination has long been present in society due to the rapid development happening around us. According to Farney, Aday & Breault (2006), this era of ageism is defined as "discrimination against any age group", but it often is pointed to age discrimination among adults which is slowly causing a negative effect for them in the workplace. In the workplace, adults with more experience and longer history behind them are targets of this ageism belief that companies and employers tend to have (Farney, Aday, & Breault, 2006). They are shunned and even fired in favor of accepting new and fresh faces for the company they have worked for. Unknown to most companies and employers, this notion of favoring the young and banishing the old can

‘The Way’, directed by Emilio Estevez tells the story of a group of people who trek the Camino de Santiago, a spiritual journey pilgrims of all faiths and background can encounter. At first, Tom does this trek for his son, who was killed at the beginning of his own trek, but towards the end Tom begins to do the trek for himself, which strengthens his bond with Daniel, as he is able to discover the real meaning of ‘the life we live and the life we chose. ’

In Hollywood movies, we constantly see the use of different actors to portray one character through different ages. To see the same actors age in sync with the characters they play add to realism that film captures better than any medium. Film approaches truth in a way that no other medium can, it can trick us, and even more so when the films are consistent in the way that Linklater’s and Truffaut’s are.

Whether it be due the malleable minds of children, or the turbulent world around them, dramatic changes in life are an absolute certainty. Young, naïve children are highly impressionable. Their parents teach them one thing, their friends another, and society, yet something else. Fickle, they morph in and out of the plethora of ideologies and mindsets laid out in front of them. This leads to a disorienting and rather confusing child-to-young-adult life, one without a clear sense of morality. The lack of focus upon what is right and wrong, inherently subjective terms, continues into our early adult hood and, for better or worse, seemingly defines the child for the rest of his or her life. This universal theme has been explored for many years through films aptly called “coming-of-age” stories, recently, and perhaps most effectively in Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012). This film revolves around Sam and Suzy, two recently pubescent kids, their romantic affair, and their effects on the world around them. The film not only captures the youthful dynamic between the two protagonists, but explores the “coming-of-age” theme through Anderson’s signature flat perspective and through the actors’ portrayals of these characters.

When reading the study on Gender and Friendship Norms Among Older Adults by Felmlee, and Dating Relationships in Older Adulthood: A National Portrait by Brown I learned

The film “Gone Girl” depicts the story of a man named Nick Dunne and the disappearance and possible murder of his publicly adored wife, Amy Dunne. The beginning of the film depicts this young couple to be passionate, vivacious and full of unconditional love, but as the story unfolds the truth behind Amy and Nick’s relationship becomes questioned under intense public scrutiny and a forensic investigation. Early on, Nick becomes the main suspect in his wife’s disappearance and apparent murder based on what seems to be overwhelming evidence indicating his guilt. Amy Dunne appears to be a beautiful, kind and intelligent woman. She exudes confidence, gracefulness and charm to the public, and portrays a sense of being calm, cool and collected with her husband upon the early stages of their relationship and marriage. Her beauty, clever wit and poised presence, paints the façade of an overtly desirable woman. However, in discovery of her husband’s affair and throughout the rest of the film, Amy’s true self and manipulative and devious nature emerges.

Amy Dunne at first expression is a nice, cool, stylish female who would be an ideal daughter and wife. She is her parents’ inspiration for a children’s book series called “Amazing Amy”, which was about a perfect girl who overcomes all obstacles that come her way. To her husband Nick Dunne, she is a dedicated wife, who loves him dearly, and struggles to make her marriage work. Okay now let’s give you the real Amy, analyzing her throughout the book it seems she should be diagnosed with Borderline personality disorders.