The Age of Adaline (1 Viewer)

Caught a preview screening of this last night. Imagine that Harold and Maude had been a Twilight Zone episode instead of a comedy, and you've got the basic idea (but thematically kind of reversed -- see spoiler below if you dare). Us dudes enjoyed it (I'm a sucker for melancholy historical epics), and the ladies loved it. It was heavy-handed at times, and the narration was a bit much, but for the most part it was a solid three-hanky romance; a simple story buoyed by top-notch performances all around. There's one scene in particular with Harrison Ford and Blake Lively that earns one of those hankies all by its lonesome.

How was Anthony Ingruber as the younger version of Harrison Ford?

He's only onscreen briefly, but I honestly wondered if they'd hired Ford's actual son (not knowing whether he has one ). He not only resembles a young Ford, he has the mannerisms down pat. You can tell he watched some combination of American Graffiti, the Indiana Jones films, and the original Star Wars trilogy over and over.


Waitaminute. . .


I just googled him. Apparently he's an unknown who was discovered doing Han Solo impressions on YouTube! That is awesome!

Sounds like a movie version of the tv show Forever.

Down here in Baton Rouge we usually have to wait a few weeks for films like this to show up. I noticed it opens this Friday and have been looking forward to it. Thanks for the review.

My wife and I absolutely LOVED 'The Age of Adaline'! Yes, it's predictable and manipulative. But it's also gloriously entertaining (for those that love to just lose themselves in the story). After it was over, I was ready to see it again! But I'm real sucker for stories like this.


The Booth Bijou gives 'The Age of Adaline' 5 out of 5 stars! Bring some tissue! If you don't need any tissue during this movie, then it's probably not your kind of movie. Either that, or you should check your pulse to see if your heart is still beating.


Mark

I really didn't think Blake Lively could have pulled off the main role of Adaline, a woman who somehow after an accident doesn't age a day afterwards. She has the looks of a woman in her mid-to-late 20s, and does so from the first quarter of the 20th century and into current day. She's seen a lot, and has been on the run all of her life. Lively is quite charming and emotionally accessible, while garnering earned empathy in her approach to the character of Adaline. She's cautious, but not bitter, she accepts her condition and acts to protect those she loves, even at the expense of being without them.


The tone of the film is the selling point of the film for me. There's a sense of loneliness from outliving one's loved ones, and not wanting to get close to people for the same reasons, that pervades the film, but not in a morose manner, but still gets across pangs of existing, but not quite living as if each moment could be your last.


Overall, even with the dramatic overtones as Adaline's past catches up with her in unexpected ways, the film is quite enchanting.


I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Patrick Sun said:

The tone of the film is the selling point of the film for me. There's a sense of loneliness from outliving one's loved ones, and not wanting to get close to people for the same reasons, that pervades the film, but not in a morose manner, but still gets across pangs of existing, but not quite living as if each moment could be your last.

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Spoilery comment:

Spoiler

I really liked the choice to *not* have her daughter die during the story. IMO that would've moved the tone too far from melancholy to tragedy.

Watched this marvellous film again last night. Deserves a 4k release.