They say that the 30's are the new 20's, and the 40's the new 30's, but what happened when you reach the 60's and only seems like you are getting to the end of your life? Well seems like it's time to break up bad habits and stop labeling life by numbers but by experiences. Let's open our minds and realize that no one is too old until it is, meaning they actually seem forced to stop their usual because their bodies and mind are just not responding. But in the mean time, life is still full of possibilities for everybody. Every time will be different as we are supposed to evolve, but that doesn't mean we are no longer able to be excited or feel excitement about something, or fall in love, or try new things. Of course by then we'll belong to the old school side of the spectrum but so will be an entire generation that is willing to laugh and feel alive just like they did back when they were young and full of dreams and energy. Being old is more a state of mind than a number and no matter what is your current age you can be already an old soul or still keeping your inner child alive to embrace life with it's twists and opportunities, because life doesn't discriminate by age or any other label. It works just the same way for everybody and you can still look at the mirror and find a new way to feel sexy and pretty, or you can have fun with your friends just like teenagers do because is all about what you doing rather than the timing to do it. Never is too late to start a new relationship or end a bad one. To go back to the things you used to like and feel passionate about or revise the dreams and goals that were left somewhere to pursue obligations and responsibilities.
If all this sounds appealing or familiar to you, is time to get yourself to the movies for a nice treat of old fashion comedy with a touch of millennial tone in the company o four fine ladies that will show us that life has multiple layers and never is too late to explore them. "BooK Club" (2018) is a new comedy targeting anyone around senior age, that for some reason feels trapped in this sense of getting old and close to the end. But not for our lovely four leading ladies, a group of friends that gets together once a month to comment regarding the book they choose to read over the past month and catch up on gossips and life. They have been friends for a while already and they know each other pretty well to a point where they accept all of them the way they are, specially after some have been through a lot. The story centers in Diane, played by Diane Keaton, using her charisma and charm that has made her so unique and eccentric, playing a widow that lives happy taking care of her house but her two daughters don't think is safe for her anymore so want her to move with them, so they can take care of her, specially over protecting her after losing her dad, even she is so capable to be by herself, is willing to give it a thought as feels responsible to her family. But life might have a turn for her when traveling, she will cross paths with a pilot that might be her charming prince that she wasn't looking for but that is willing to make her feel loved again and desired, and she will realize that her marriage was dead way before her husband passed away, so now she's realizing there are some feeling she wasn't aware of and excitement that was missing her entire life and never is too late if she can make this work with her family.
All is comes in the perfect timing for all these women as the new book selection of the month happens to be no other than the popular erotic novel 50 Shades of Grey, that at the beginning sounds too much for group of senior ladies but once they get caught up into this misadventures of bondage and seduction, they will realize how much are they missing in their lives. All this orchestrate by Vivian, the alpha of the group, a successful woman, that has built a fortune by owning a prestigious Hotel but sacrificing a life shared with someone at her side. Mostly because she's afraid of commitment and being hurt, reason why long time ago she declined her long time fiancee proposal and since then been just fooling around with men, hooking up with no strings that satisfied her needs and let her keep that status of power and control but is it worth it to spend a whole life of achievements and getting away with what you want and not being able to share it with someone that cares about you? Would that change the whole meaning of success? Or why are we so scared to fall in love and put our hearts out the there, specially when there is someone willing to take a leap of faith with you, accepting and loving every inch of yourself? Well, soon this woman will have to face a life changing decision once she runs into her ex fiancee at her own hotel, and sparks will be there still, rekindling something that was supposed to be over but one someone is meant to be your person, no matter how hard you try to move away from it, it'll always come back to you, so you better give yourself a second chance and try to understand what is hurting yourself because we all deserve happiness and success is not against it just need to be moderated.
As for example, Carol, a woman that seemed as she achieved everything she want it, owning her own restaurant and marrying the man of her dreams, but after getting caught in this erotic novel, she will soon realize how lost her marriage is after 35 years together. She loves her husband and he loves her back but there is something that is dead, no more sparks, no more sex, and she looks great for a woman of her age, so she can't but wonder what is missing, why her husband seems to be so far when is right there. But as she navigates the dark waters of Christian Grey, she will try to turn her sex life on but relationships are a two way street and not always everything is about you and what is missing comes from the other side and we need to learn how to deal with our partners problems instead of trying to make them ours or solve things our way when is more about letting them be and take control but communication is key and that is the sexiest part of any relationship, when you are able to connect and communicate with someone in deeper levels that will turn anyone on and sparks and fireworks will happen but obviously after a long time with the same person things will cool down and a re connection will be needed if both sides are willing to so it's just matter of going back to the basics and start all over again, finding who they are now and why they still love each other because never is too late to go back to what you used to like the most of you and others and no matter where in life you are at now never is too late to feel young and alive again by going back to what makes you happy the most.
And talking about success, our last member of the club happens to be another successful woman, a federal judge, the only one of her class, Sharon, an old fashion woman that after a not successful marriage mostly because choosing the wrong man, now navigates the waters of loneliness with her old cat at her side but also missing something, her ex is now dating someone, a beautiful young blonde that might remind him of her in her early years, and her son is also engaged now, leaving her on the side. So after seen her friends embracing the romance of the book and trying to take a risk in her lives by spicing things she decides to explore online dating, and meet a few decent men that will no bring surprises to online dating but will give her hope about finding someone right for her because she is conservative and a pill hard to swallow but once they are able to make her laugh, it is the way to her heart. So it's always fun to let yourself try something new even seems scary and we might not know everything about it but if you are surrounded by the right people they might inspire to be brave and be surprised by life, because never is too late and after watching all the situations this women will get into, a better sense of time will hit you and as any wake up call, you might want to pick a new book, or make that trip that you always wanted or start a new business or learn something new just to re discover what makes you feel alive and happy because while you are still here, it matters and every minute still counts, it's just matter of why rather than when so, give it a try for a good time at the movies and explore that live is no over until is over.
No matter what, everybody keeps saying being a mom is a blessing. One of the most rewarding things can happen to a woman in her life. Because they carry their babies in her belly for 9 months create a bond that dads won't understand. Moms can feel and sense what is going on with her kids, because of that bond. She fed you when you were a baby and took care of you, cleaned you up, raised you the best possible way for her, but who takes care of her while she does all the above? Dad is usually working and sometimes helping with the chores but that is not the only help we need. Emotional and physical support is needed for everyone to keep fighting their battles and been up to a challenge without failing. Children have their parents to rely on, that's supposedly their job right? But who has them? When things get tough and complicated who has their back? Because they are humans as well and parenting is a task that no one is prepared for, just need to be ready for the challenge and embrace it. But do you remember those days when your mom had to take care of you and your siblings while cooking lunch and cleaning the house, shopping groceries, help you with your homework from school, all while giving to each one of her kids the proper attention. This is an exhaustive job and poorly recognize as is mostly seen as a responsibility and a duty. If you become a mom, you must do that, is your obligation, but how can you raise and care for others if no one, even yourself, is taken care of you? They don't stop being humans just because now they are parents. They still have needs and dreams even when putting their kids before theirs, but should be a two way street that hardly happens and as soon the kids arrive everything moves around them and we are seating in the back seat until they grow up and leave the nest.
But why should be that pressure of become a parent? If it is such a challenging quest, should be a preparation for it, right? The same way you need to be prepared to become a lawyer or a doctor and learn how to help others, anyone should be prepared to become a parent before hand. But world wide, this is mostly seen as a survival instinct where as soon as you reach certain age you should start considering find someone to be pair with and become a family that will bring kids and keep the heritage going for prosperity. And that is in the best cases, because others don't have the opportunity or chance to wait or choose, they are arranged as any merchandise to belong to someone else or they are forced to be involved with someone after a natural mistake where a kid will be coming to this world, just to face the reality of a dysfunctional home and be the reminder of crushed dreams and a freedom taken away. So is it really the best option? How come in 21st century we can still be behaving like old school medieval times where blood needs to be preserve for the sake of properties and land and where psychology and sociology wasn't even a topic to discuss? We learn to be parents in the same way we learn to walk and talk, we imitate patterns. We learn what our parents tough us and avoid what we didn't like from them but at the end we have no guidance other than friends, family, books, media to make it through the process of becoming a good parent or at least raise good people.
Some of this discussion can be seen in the new comedy "Tully" (2018), a dramedy about parenting and motherhood with actress Charlize Theron at the center playing a suburban mom that has left her best years behind to rise two kids and one more on it's way, and she can't be more lost about it. Her husband works like crazy trying to provide what is needed for a middle class family, so when gets home only thing he wants to do is play a bit with his kids, then play some video games until he falls asleep. But not really digging into his relationship with hi wife, leaving her with all the stress of taking care of this family. So she is just going down and digging, because one of her kids seems to need special attention, one that she can not provide because she needs to take care of herself first to be able to, and with the new baby coming soon, she is just a mess right now, and she can't hide it. Reason why her brother, as a birthday present gives her a night nanny, a new kind of nannies that seems to be the new trend, where they come by night and take care of the baby and the house so mom can have a relaxing sleep. At first, she seems skeptical about letting a stranger in to her life and family but soon she realizes how much she needs help and once Tully, the night nanny, shows up, things start to change for good. She is able to sleep and not worried about waking up in the middle of the night to feed her baby, or clean the house, or make breakfast. Everything seems to be taken care of. And just the fact of seeing this changes plus the opportunity of relax at night gives her a new perspective and a breath that will be reflected in her whole family, husband included.
Soon she'll realize all That she has been missing as a person, for being a mom and she loves her children and her family but there is just too much to handle that she wasn't able and when she starts becoming friends of her new nanny, that will question her life in a good way. Why did she marry? And did she choose that guy as her partner for life? What about her sex life? And romance? Too many thing that she has forgotten by putting her children as a priority as should be but leaving behind herself which is not ok, because sooner or later time will catch up with her and that bill will be to high for the price. She used to be a hipster in Brooklyn before moving to suburbia. She used to go out and party all night, flirting with bartenders and artists. Letting her soul fly free over the metropolis of NYC, until life changed and she become a wife and then a mom. But to be able to listen to her kids needs, she has to pay attention to her own, because she is dancing in the limit of sanity and exhaustion. But no one is paying attention. Everyone in her life demands her attention but are incapable of giving her some, that is why this new nanny is changing her life and her role as a mom, showing her how to take care of herself while still be a mom, feeling pretty and desire while struggling with the effects of childbirth and raising two other kids so her time is ticking and she needs to find herself in able to keep this family going on, but it's hard and lonely sometimes. Everybody seems to be aware of the kids needs but what about the parents, who is helping them to raise the future generation of this world?
So, the movie definitely feels fresh and goes deep into serious topics about motherhood that will resonate to anyone, either you are a mom or have one. With a serious tone mixed with a comedic relief, usual signature from it's director Jason Reitman, and convincing performance from Theron that keeps trying to break her beautiful appearance in order to deliver a more average looking type of woman where we as an audience can focus in her talent rather than been distracted by her beauty, and works well in here, but the biggest flow is the rushed unexpected ending that leaves a lot of questions unsolved and gets lost between the characters self and her role in this family. But in general a movie that will entertain as bring some interesting topics to discuss one the lights turn on, specially for anyone who is a parent or trying to become one, because as we were saying earlier, this step in life should be a well thought decision rather than a must-be step in life, specially in an overpopulated planet, we don't need more people that will struggle with the consequences of bad parenting or dysfunctional families. We should focus on bring the best for the next generations so they ca have a healthy, caring, solid upbringing from those who are really ready for it and the rest of us, give them all the support as society to help them keep themselves in track as persons because life doesn't end when a new one comes in, just evolves, and should be a work in progress journey that will bring joy and struggle but rewarding at the end for both parties. So why not getting some help fist and learn more of ourselves in order to become the best for others? Now you know whom to call...
