Nancy Meyers, now in her 70s, remains the queen of the "rich people problem" comedy, but her influence is in creating a space where women over 50 are romantic leads ( Something’s Gotta Give , It’s Complicated ). Greta Gerwig (though younger) directed Barbie —a film about the terror of aging, cellulite, and mortality, starring Margot Robbie and a 71-year-old Rhea Perlman as the visionary creator.
Now, a 14-year-old watching Everything Everywhere sees a 60-year-old woman as a superhero. A 50-year-old woman watching Leo Grande sees her own desires validated. A 70-year-old man watching The Crown sees a woman struggling with the same obsolescence he fears.
Europe has always been ahead. Isabelle Huppert, at 70, delivered a career-defining performance in Elle , playing a ruthless CEO who is also a rape survivor. The film refused to make her a victim or a saint. She was simply a complex, aging woman in control of her chaos.
We have moved from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" as a horror film to "Hacks" (Jean Smart, 72, as a legendary Las Vegas comic) as a triumphant dramedy. We have moved from the "cougar" joke to the "Leo Grande" revolution.