The Silvering Screen: Old Age and Disability in Cinema - Softcover

Sally Chivers

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1442611049 ISBN 13: 9781442611047

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2011

Synopsis

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 this title

About the Author:

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

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1442611049
• ISBN 13: 9781442611047
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240