What movie advisory boards say about the cinematic representations of love among older adults

Love and romance in later life as a field of investigation has gained a notable place among academic circles in recent years, with attention mainly directed to the portrayal of older characters’ sexuality in movies. In this article, we examine the ways four movie advisory boards, the social entities responsible for setting age limits on movie admissions and presenting their justifications, investigated movies considered by the American Association of Retired Persons as Best Grownup Love Story films. It was found that the American and British movie advisory boards regulate age admissions more strictly for these movies in comparison to their counterparts in Australia and New Zealand. Yet all boards share the same concerns, namely, attaching warnings that these movies are heavy in profanity and sexuality. This directs attention to the potential contribution of movie advisory boards in the construction of representations of older adults.