What do you think?
Rate this book
Coming of Age in Films
The story of films is the story of human development. From the very first story that defined the birth of our civilizationthe Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, a story of immortality, aging and deathcomes a tale of why we age. We are a species of storytellers. The stories we tell to each other define who we are. However, since we are living in a world marked by age apartheid, our interaction with people across different generations is becoming more limited. As a result, the information we gain about older people comes mostly from secondary sources. For the general public, films remain the most accessible form of information regarding getting older. From the early exposure of cartoons to more elaborate dramas, our knowledge of what it means to become old relies on our exposure to films. This volume provides insight into how accurate these representations are in line with current knowledge that we have about aging and older adults. Arguing that films present a simplified view of aging, this analysis relies on scientific evidence to explore why and how such stereotypes affect us. Stereotypes have the ability of being internalized and becoming prescriptive of our behavior. Numerous studies have attempted different ways of understanding the impact films have on aging. Theories as seemingly disparate as feminism and disability have contributed to our understanding of how stereotypes influence our aging process. This text builds upon this knowledge and provides new insights by applying current gerontological knowledgethe science of agingto unpack and analyze the images of aging that films are providing. By readdressing this focus on gerontological theoriesas diverse as biology and psychologythe book readdresses an overlooked approach.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published March 8, 2019
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 27, 2019
I love a book that gazes at objects from popular culture through the viewpoint of higher education.
Garrett delivers a powerful mix of "high" and "low" culture. He not only gathers an impressive number and array of films about aging, he discusses with insight these films--individually and in various groups. (See the TOC below.)
If you watch films and if you are aging (hint: we are all aging), this book will give you a broader perspective and a deeper understanding on how narratives and images on film create scripts that people often follow without question.
Garrett convinced me to overtly ask this question about my film viewing: Are the depictions of aging in the film I'm watching helpful or harmful?
Dr. Marrio Garrett is a Professor of Gerontology at San Diego State University. As a scholar in an interdisciplinary field, he moves comfortably among fields such as sociology, communication theory, psychology, film theory, disability studies and health care to deliver an academic argument that is accessible to the well-read lay reader.
His introduction creates a strong framework for the body chapters. "Seemingly disparate theories, such as feminism and disability [studies], have contributed to our understanding of how stereotypes influence our aging process" (p. 19).
Here is a list of just 8 films that Garrett discusses in his book--just so that you can get a preview of how he includes blockbusters and indies, US and foreign, recently released in the 2010s and classics from the mid 20th century and a breadth of genres:
On Golden Pond (1981), Poetry (2011 Korean language film), Umberto D (1952 Italian language film), Coco (2017), Nosferatu (1929 silent film), The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons (2008), Bridges of Madison County (1995) and Finding Your Feet (2018).
The conclusion invites readers to be more mindful of what films they watch and how they watch them. "Embracing aging while associating with film characters who inspire us will allow us, as individuals, to convert the prescriptive nature of film into a positive experience--one that affirms aging" (p. 246).
Table of Contents (TOC):
Foreword
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Narrative Arc
Chapter 3: Later Life Romance
Chapter 4: Intergenerational Conflict
Chapter 5: Aging Horrors: Dementia in Film
Chapter 6: Aging in Animation
Chapter 7: Art and Creativity
Chapter 8: The Final Act: Death
Chapter 9: Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
(A version of this review appears on my blog: The Generation Above Me.)
Garrett delivers a powerful mix of "high" and "low" culture. He not only gathers an impressive number and array of films about aging, he discusses with insight these films--individually and in various groups. (See the TOC below.)
If you watch films and if you are aging (hint: we are all aging), this book will give you a broader perspective and a deeper understanding on how narratives and images on film create scripts that people often follow without question.
Garrett convinced me to overtly ask this question about my film viewing: Are the depictions of aging in the film I'm watching helpful or harmful?
Dr. Marrio Garrett is a Professor of Gerontology at San Diego State University. As a scholar in an interdisciplinary field, he moves comfortably among fields such as sociology, communication theory, psychology, film theory, disability studies and health care to deliver an academic argument that is accessible to the well-read lay reader.
His introduction creates a strong framework for the body chapters. "Seemingly disparate theories, such as feminism and disability [studies], have contributed to our understanding of how stereotypes influence our aging process" (p. 19).
Here is a list of just 8 films that Garrett discusses in his book--just so that you can get a preview of how he includes blockbusters and indies, US and foreign, recently released in the 2010s and classics from the mid 20th century and a breadth of genres:
On Golden Pond (1981), Poetry (2011 Korean language film), Umberto D (1952 Italian language film), Coco (2017), Nosferatu (1929 silent film), The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons (2008), Bridges of Madison County (1995) and Finding Your Feet (2018).
The conclusion invites readers to be more mindful of what films they watch and how they watch them. "Embracing aging while associating with film characters who inspire us will allow us, as individuals, to convert the prescriptive nature of film into a positive experience--one that affirms aging" (p. 246).
Table of Contents (TOC):
Foreword
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Narrative Arc
Chapter 3: Later Life Romance
Chapter 4: Intergenerational Conflict
Chapter 5: Aging Horrors: Dementia in Film
Chapter 6: Aging in Animation
Chapter 7: Art and Creativity
Chapter 8: The Final Act: Death
Chapter 9: Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
(A version of this review appears on my blog: The Generation Above Me.)
Displaying 1 of 1 review