Of course, the other recent example of Hollywood’s penchant of placing young actresses in the “mother” role is when Angelina Jolie played Colin Farrell’s mother in the movie Alexander a few years back. Granted, Jolie is stunningly beautiful and a gift from the gods. I get that the director (Oliver Stone) wanted to not only get folks to the theater (men) but exploit the good looks of the youthful, half-naked (Jolie) — but come on! She’s just one year older than Farrell. She took her casting in stride and described working with the notoriously difficult Stone as “a pleasure.” Given that Jolie, already mother to six, never seems to age, she seems to have this role down pat. I guess when you look that good onscreen, you may as well flaunt it while you’ve got it.
I suppose that’s what it comes down to. Maybe many of these actresses take these roles because, perhaps, they are terrified that if they don’t, they won’t work again. This is what they are being offered so they take it, like Thompson did back in the day, for the boost it can give them; or like Ryder, to get back in the game. Jolie was reportedly “thrilled to be cast” in an Oliver Stone movie, even if it was in the mother role, even if she was barely older than Rosario Dawson, who played Farrell’s wife, for the opportunity to work with him and the exposure it offered her. (That the movie was widely panned clearly hasn't hurt any of their careers, particularly hers.)
Hard to believe, incredible really, that Jolie has to worry about ageism. If that’s the case, are all young, beautiful actresses older than, say, 25 doomed to be relegated to the mother role before they hit 30?
No wonder they all end up having (shhh!) plastic surgery every other month. But that’s another article…
Article comments
1 - Jen
At least in Star Trek, they attempted to make Winona Ryder look older than Quinto.
2 - rachelintheOC
It's also worth noting that ALL of the movies I mentioned in my article were directed by men.
3 - V
I think you're reading too much into the Winona situation. The only reason she was aged visually for her role is because they also filmed a scene in which she gave birth to Spock (Whilst young), which was later removed from the theatrical release but can be found on the DVD. It's logical - pardon the pun there - for them to go for a makeup attempt at aging rather than recasting an older actress.
4 - rachelintheOC
Jen, that's true. My husband said the same thing--they did age her. I kind of felt "Why bother" We KNOW it's Winona & she's clearly a youngish, kind of pixie looking woman anyway, so why not go with an older woman? The role was so limited (probably due to time constraints--apparently there was a whole scene involving Spock's birth that was cut) that it just seemed silly to me.
5 - rachelintheOC
V--we must be on @ the same time. I did consider that & knew in my research about the birth scene & saw the stills where she was young so I can appreciate your point. Still, and this is just my opinion as I was watching the movie multiple times, I think there are plenty of more appropriately-aged actresses out there that could have played the part (both parts actually) and it wouldn't have seemed so, IDK, goofy.
6 - V
I definitely understand your point about the other examples you mentioned in the article, but I guess in ST it just wasn't goofy to me since 1) As a Trekkie I thought she captured the essence of Amanda Grayson wonderfully and 2) Like you also said - Winona's finally back!
7 - Jen
Rachel---I agree: Winona is so known to all of us that, despite wearing make-up, it's a challenge to totally suspend your disbelief. I agree...just find an older actress to begin with!
8 - Trevor
Hey I have to pipe in here about Winona. Sure she's young with could work... I mean Back to the Future. However, I'm just not seeing why we had to go with Winona. Why not some else, young even, but less known? I see her and I see an Android from Alien: Resurrection with a mole/mp3 hook up. Just saying.
9 - Mea
I LOVED Winona as the mother. She looks so caring and sweet and I think they did a great job on aging her - gracefully and beautiful yet old looking.
She look like the original actor from the original cast and I find it logical that they choose a younger (She really isn't that young anymore anyway) actress because they still suck at making old people look young and they needed her to look young in the birth scenes..
Anyway, I loved her in the movie..