Probably the biggest age difference between Astaire and his female lead. Does anybody have a problem with this? My mum does, but she had bad experiences as a child and therefore she hates romances between old men and young women.
Personally I loved it. Who cares how old they are? Love is love. It wasn't an illegal age or anything.
~Formerly known as "eowynmaiar".
I was just reading some reviews of "Funny Face," and many people seemed to be majorly grossed-out by the romance in that one. I've never felt that the chemistry between Astaire and Hepburn was that believable, but I still enjoy FF for the great songs and the beautiful photography and because I just love both lead actors (and think Kay Thompson is hilarious).
But I've known couples whose ages vary by many years--one couple with a 35-year difference--and I think they would have felt insulted by the kinds of comments people seem to be so cavalier about posting. I'm sure there have been inappropriate relationships between people of widely varying ages, but then, there have been inappropriate relationships between people close to the same age... I don't think May-December romances should be lumped in with unhealthy pairings any more than I think interracial or gay romances should be.
I think one of the things that helps "Daddy Long Legs" work a bit better is that the age difference is part of the plot--but also, there's a definite "zing" between the two stars, and a way that Caron's character is more mature than the usual 22-year-old (Caron's age was 24, but she was playing 18-22), and a way that Astaire's is more youthful than the usual guy in his fifties (as was Astaire himself, as Caron herself attested. She said that, after an energetic dance, she'd be all out of breath and he wouldn't even be phased).
Plus, I think the idea of an older person recapturing youth with a young partner, and a young person finding happiness with someone who has more life experience, can be very romantic. It doesn't always have to be the man who is older, either.
Yes, I enjoyed the youthfulness of this particular character of his. And Caron was good too. They just fit, despite age differences. What does the term May-December romance mean? And is it different from May-September romance? And why use the month metaphor anyway? I was just wondering.
~Formerly known as "eowynmaiar".
The phrase comes from the younger person being in the "spring" of his or her life (i.e., May), while the older partner is in his or her "winter" (i.e., December)--or maybe just in the "fall" (i.e., September).
Ohhh. Right. :) Well, I like those romances if Fred Astaire is involved. Of course, it'd be the other way round if you were in the southern hemisphere. :P
~Formerly known as "eowynmaiar".
You know, I think the storyline was just kind of weird. Fred Astaire adopts a girl and then falls in love with her and ends up marrying her...it's just a little strange. But I liked it.
"Sweet love, renew thy force."
"Hey! Don't say sh*t like that to me."
one couple with a 35-year difference--and I think they would have felt insulted by the kinds of comments people seem to be so cavalier about posting
I too found it a little bizarre. He couuld almost pass for her grandfather. 20 year age difference is one thing ,but 30 years?
shareI can accept this plot of this film easier than the plot of Gigi.A leering rich man about town honing in a young school age virgin chicklet to seduce and throw away when the next little chickee catches his eye. His visits to the house were like looking at a dressed up version of a pedophile situation.I guess the audience is supposed to be swoony over the fact that he falls for her.
It's Saks! There's a reason why Winona stole from there.Their stuff is gorgeous!
It 'homing in' not 'honing in.'
'Hone' means to sharpen.
Many millionaires marry, or at least live with, women much younger. Few go as far as Hugh Hefner, who notoriously has multiple young mistresses at the same time.
share"I'd sure hope they would be insulted, since the way they're behaving is completely indicative of stubbornly ignorant, self-centered and unthinking people who deserve to be called out on".
Hilarious!
Who cares how old they are? Love is love. ()
It wasn't an illegal age or anything.
A 30 year difference is a good one - so many children grow up with one parent - but the many children one hopes that this couples with big age difference will grow up knowing that even if at age 20 or 30 or 40, dad passed away - he waited so much of his life for their mom.
How can you pass judgment on others - you're the ignorant one!
It's romantic! The best thing about Funny FACE IS in fact the age difference! Daddy Longlegs is a good one too. So's Susan Slept Here - and High Noon - many wonderful age difference movies from the Bogart-Bacall movies to It Started in Naples (an excellent one).
fred always had the advantage of looking younger than he actually was and i think he and leslie were really good in this picture, i can't say i particuarly noticed the age difference thing and its much more obvious in other movies between different people than it is in this one
shareIt must be quite sad going through life so bitter and narrow-minded...
..Joe
[deleted]
I didn't mind the age difference, but I was a bit weirded out by the way Astaire essentially "bought" Caron from an orphanage like a piece of candy. Sugar Daddy is right.
Oh well. I guess in the universe of a musical you just have to assume everyone is happy and good in the end.
---------------------------------
"It was night. I could tell because it was getting dark."
But remember, he was simply intrigued with her vivaciousness. After he sent he to college he had nothing to do with her - not even reading the letters - for four years. He pretty much even forgot who she was.
..Joe
"Personally I loved it. Who cares how old they are? Love is love. It wasn't an illegal age or anything".
I agree completely. And in general, it's impossible to really sense the changing internal feelings of each about the other - to know how deeply one or the other feels, and how that is altered so slightly from day to day. Who are any of us on the outside to ever question couples simply due to differences of age, education, work experience, nationality, race, interests? We just can't really know what they feel.
[deleted]
So does that mean you can't watch any Bogart/Bacall movie? They were romantically involved in almost all of them, and were also involved in life. he met her when he was 45 and she 19; Harrison Ford is 22 years older than Callista Flockhart. There are many cases of this. Why should two people's love creep anyone out? It's about them, not you.
..Joe
A lot of older films feature romances with large gaps in ages between leading men and the ladies. I watch a lot of older movies so I don't get too bogged down in it and it doesn't bother me in general. But this one probably was more difficult for me to get past because the two leads just didn't seem to have any chemistry IMO.
shareI found Astaire & Hepburn in Funny Face a little creepy because of the age difference, here even more with Leslie Caron. Part of the reaction for me is that : 1) they (Fred & Leslie) don't have much chemistry, and 2) Leslie Caron looks lot more little girlish than Audrey Hepburn, in my opinion.
share