I recently saw an Instagram post about the typical “movie-watching experience” of the different zodiac signs. Apparently, grounded “earth” signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) demand a quiet, talk-free zone, with no whispering watchers, bad lighting, etc. Ambiance is crucial.
Then, on the flip side, communicative “air” signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are, much to those “earth” signs’ dismay, all about being whispering watchers, perhaps with their bestie in the next movie theater seat, as they simultaneously scroll through their iPhone researching the actors on the screen. Now, for those energy-filled “fire” signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), my apologies, as I don’t remember what their signature “movie-watching experience” is.
But, drumroll, I do remember it for the emotional “water” signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). After all, that’s the astro club of yours truly. And so, what is our optimal movie past-time? Apparently, it’s imagining ourselves as the protagonist on the screen, living vicariously through all their drama, comedy, horror, etc. How fitting that we’d gravitate to all of those “emotional” cinematic elements, right?
All this made me stop and think – “Do I do that? Have I ever imagined myself, up there on the big screen, as the main character?” Quite simply, yes. For me, without hesitation, I have long wanted to be Blake Lively playing enigmatic Adaline Bowman in 2015’s “The Age of Adaline.” Yes, this movie is my #27 Favorite Film. It has reached my esteemed “Top 30 Favorite Films” list. (To read the full list and blog post, go to https://www.colormeculture.com/post/2016-1-10-crazy-25-favorite-films.)
As I mention in this “Top 30 Favorite Films” list, Blake Lively enchants in the genre of “magical realism.” She makes us fall in love with time, San Francisco, and a comet named Della. A story about a beautiful woman named Adaline Bowman, born on January 1st, 1908, whose body stops aging in the late 1930s (at age 29) due to a dreamy nighttime car accident, which involves submersion in a remote ravine filled with cold, blue, mystical water, where she then experiences a strike of heavenly, life-saving lightning, “The Age of Adaline” penetrates deeply for me.
Adaline is frozen in time physically. Her beauty is literally “timeless,” and forever in her possession. Yet, emotionally, she is like the rest of us. She is aging, and growing, and, of course, not wanting to look younger, and to feel physically healthier, than her daughter. Cut to present-day 2015, when Adaline (Blake Lively) shares a tender New Year’s birthday moment in a restaurant with her daughter Flemming (played wonderfully by Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn).
Although turning another year older (she’s a whopping, dusty, bygone-era woman of 107 years old now), Adaline still looks like a lovely 29-year-old enjoying the prime of her life. And her daughter across the table is gray-haired, around 80 years old, and talking about possibly moving out of San Francisco to a retirement community. The two affectionately graze hands, and we see, quite starkly, the puzzling truth of their ages. POIGNANT.
Through the eyes of one soul, “The Age of Adaline” takes us on a rich, stylish, dreamy (that word again) journey through time from 1908 to 2015. We see black and white film footage of old San Francisco with its horse-drawn carriages. We also witness the construction of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s, the elation of the end of World War II in the 1940s, and then Adaline falling in love with a sweet young man named William in the late 1960s.
But most importantly, we see the emotional toll this inability to age has taken on the modern-day Adaline. To avoid capture from federal agents during the 1950s, who were suspicious of Adaline and wanted to run scientific tests on her, Adaline had felt forced to change her name and address every ten years. Only one person on the planet, her daughter Flemming, knows of her physical condition and on-the-run status. And Adaline keeps in sporadic touch with Flemming as Flemming ages, but the two have not had a typical mother/daughter relationship. Adaline has had to keep a low profile.
As a result, Adaline is emotionally tired and sad. Everyone of her generation has died, and now even her daughter is getting closer to crossing that mortality bridge. This “not aging” feels like a curse. This feeling comes into even more vivid focus when in 2015 she falls in love with a strapping young guy of about 30 years old named Ellis (played well by Dutch actor, Michael Huisman). She’s reluctant to let herself fall in love with him, as she’ll never be able to grow old with him. This becomes the main plot-line in the film. Noteworthy – this plot-line culminates with a positively AWESOME cameo by fan-favorite actor Harrison Ford. Yes, our lovable Star Wars and Indiana Jones hero is in the dreamy “The Age of Adaline.” Cue that comet named Della!
“The Age of Adaline” has gorgeous cinematography, costuming, and art direction. It does a great job in conveying setting, that highly important “time and place” factor that I always love when I watch a film. Outside of its supernatural “magical realism” premise that fascinates me as it’s focused on history, this film masterfully envelops us in a moody, lush world.
How exciting it must’ve been for Blake Lively to enter this moody, lush world, and to contribute to it with her subtle, stylish self. Through Adaline, she must embody two sides of multiple coins – young/old, free/trapped, love/hate, etc. It’s an ambitious role given its nuance, and that’s partially what would attract me to this character if I were an actress.
How would I embody Adaline in my own Joslyn Jay way? From the script’s lines and how I deliver them (how would a 1930s woman say those words?) to my physical mannerisms, I could ruminate for hours on my own version of Adaline. I love Blake Lively’s portrayal, of course. But of course, that emotional “water” sign me is naturally curious about my own interpretation.
It’s no secret that I love history. After all, refer to this “vintage” pop culture blog. I have been professing my love of history for the past nine years! And “The Age of Adaline” wraps us in a fantastical story of “living history.” It has sparkle and wisp, dust and gray. And could this all even really be possible? Can we stop the process of aging? Should we even want to try? Adaline is a cautionary tale. There is both light and dark.
So, thank you, Blake Lively, for giving me something to think about, both in art and in life. As I gaze up at those white twinkly stars, and possibly a comet or two, on a summer night, lounging with family and friends, and a glass of red wine, I’ll remember – “Years, lovers, and glasses of wine, these are things that should never be counted.” Cheers to “The Age of Adaline.” I highly recommend this movie.
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