Then came Grace and Frankie .
But if you’ve been paying attention to cinema and streaming over the last five years, you know that clock has been shattered.
For decades, there was a ticking clock in Hollywood. If you were a woman, the alarm usually went off around age 40. Suddenly, the leading roles dried up, the rom-com offers turned into "mother of the bride" cameos, and the industry whisper was cruel: You are past your sell-by date.
So, here is to the women who refused to fade into the wallpaper. Here is to the laugh lines, the gray streaks, the weathered hands, and the tired eyes that have seen it all. You aren't supporting characters in the story of youth.
Similarly, The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette shocked network executives by drawing massive ratings. Why? Because watching people in their 60s and 70s fall in love is not "cute"—it is hopeful. It reminds us that emotional depth gets better with age. We have spent decades watching Al Pacino and Robert De Niro play morally grey old men. Now, it is the women's turn.