The Age of Adaline
A young woman, born at the turn of the 20th century, is rendered ageless after an accident. After many solitary years, she meets a man who complicates the eternal life she has settled into.
Director:
Lee Toland KriegerWriters:
J. Mills Goodloe (screenplay), Salvador Paskowitz(screenplay), 3 more credits »Stars:
Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford |Storyline
After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.
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Much of this fantasy depends on the sentimental lingering of Adaline as she reviews her more than century of life without permanent love. Where I found a core of true humanity without sentimentality is in the latter half of the film as Adaline faces committing to an attractive, intelligent, and charitable philanthropist, Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman). Once again she faces the urge to leave because of her curse, but he and his family, notably the excellent Harrison Ford as his father, William, make her pause to consider letting go of her agelessness.
And so must we pause to consider how poets like Browning opined that the gods were jealous of mankind because of our ability to love and suffer, at, of course, the cost of our lives. But then Jesus Christ chose the imperfect route to redeem our sins. Not a bad reason yet it still holds the pain of death. This film at least makes us consider whether or not we would wish to live like Adeline, constantly running from reality unable to hold anyone but her aging daughter, Flemming (always excellent Ellen Burstyn), and Adaline's dog. Watch out for Harrison Ford's best performance ever as a father caught in the web of time and a Trivial Pursuit game that shows us all how it should be played.
Realists might better stay home than face the usual romantic absurdities like how the substantial Ellis could so quickly fall in love with Adaline (called Jenny at this time in her life) or how the sentimental ending could have sunk a less intelligent film. Yet, the Twilight Zone could have produced such a fantasy, and I never complained about Rod Serling's manipulations.
While at the end the film gives in to sap of the usual romance kind, it regularly rises above the trite to tackle the eternal puzzle of life, love, and romance. Besides, who doesn't want to consider embracing the joys of aging, wrinkles and death?...