The Silvering Screen

Old Age and Disability in Cinema

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by Sally Chivers

Type

Studies

Subject

Sociology

Keywords

characters, sociology, disability

Publishing date

2011

Publisher

University of Toronto Press

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 240 pages
6 x 9 inches (15 x 23 cm)

ISBN

978-1-4426-1104-7

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Book Presentation:
Popular films have always included elderly characters, but until recently, old age only played a supporting role onscreen. Now, as the Baby Boomer population hits retirement, there has been an explosion of films, including Away From Her, The Straight Story, The Barbarian Invasions, and About Schmidt, where aging is a central theme.

The first-ever sustained discussion of old age in cinema, The Silvering Screen brings together theories from disability studies, critical gerontology, and cultural studies, to examine how the film industry has linked old age with physical and mental disability. Sally Chivers further examines Hollywood's mixed messages - the applauding of actors who portray the debilitating side of aging, while promoting a culture of youth - as well as the gendering of old age on film. The Silvering Screen makes a timely attempt to counter the fear of aging implicit in these readings by proposing alternate ways to value getting older.

About the Author:
Sally Chivers is Chair of the Department of Canadian Studies at Trent University.

See the publisher website: University of Toronto Press