Despite this progress, the industry is not yet post-ageist.
The lesson for the industry is simple: the myth that people do not want to see mature women on screen was always a lie told by men who were afraid of them.
In comedy specifically, the aging woman’s body became a punchline. Films frequently used cosmetic surgery as a plot device to signal vanity or horror, mocking women for trying to maintain their youth while simultaneously punishing them for letting themselves go—a lose-lose scenario.
The romantic comedy genre, once the bastion of the 20-something meet-cute, is being reclaimed. Films like It’s Complicated (2009) paved the way for recent hits like Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Book Club , which prove that women over 50 still possess sexual agency and romantic possibility.