The Silvering Screen. Old Age and Disability in Cinema.

Chivers, Sally

ISBN 10: 1442611049 / ISBN 13: 9781442611047

Published by University of Toronto Press, 2011

About this Item

The Silvering Screen makes a timely attempt to counter the fear of aging implicit in these readings by proposing alternate ways to value getting older. Num Pages: 240 pages, 17, 17 halftones. BIC Classification: APFA. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly. Dimension: 229 x 155 x 15. Weight in Grams: 370. . 2011. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9781442611047

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Silvering Screen. Old Age and Disability in Cinema.
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1442611049
• ISBN 13: 9781442611047
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Popular films have always included elderly characters, but until recently, old age only played a supporting role onscreen. Now, as the Baby Boomer population hits retirement, there has been an explosion of films, including Away From Her, The Straight Story, The Barbarian Invasions, and About Schmidt, where aging is a central theme.

The first-ever sustained discussion of old age in cinema, The Silvering Screen brings together theories from disability studies, critical gerontology, and cultural studies, to examine how the film industry has linked old age with physical and mental disability. Sally Chivers further examines Hollywood's mixed messages - the applauding of actors who portray the debilitating side of aging, while promoting a culture of youth - as well as the gendering of old age on film. The Silvering Screen makes a timely attempt to counter the fear of aging implicit in these readings by proposing alternate ways to value getting older.

About the Author

Sally Chivers is Chair of the Department of Canadian Studies at Trent University.