Professions

Why disaster movies are leading the way for age-appropriate relationships

In San      Andreas,the leading couple are both the same age, a rarity in a Hollywood blockbuster. But why is an earthquake movie blazing a trail?

           The most shocking thing about San Andreas, the earth-shifting new disaster movie starring Dwayne Johnson (we’re not allowed to call him The Rock anymore – hugely frustrating given the film’s subject matter), isn’t the slightly ropey dialogue or Kylie Minogue’s cameo role as “bitchy woman of indistinct nationality” but the film’s casual choice

to break a cardinal rule of blockbuster cinema.

In the film, Johnson is paired with Carla Gugino, an actor who ... wait for it ... is... exactly ... the same age as him. Like a real human couple!The pair are both 43 and, in fact, Gugino is actually eight months older yet not one Mrs Robinson joke is cracked through the entire film.A victory for feminism! 

One factor which could play more of a role is star power. Disaster films are usually sold on spectacle rather than talent and when they are based around an A-lister, such as Dwayne Johnson or Pierce Brosnan, matching them with another big star is less necessary in the genre.Salma Hayek recently commented on an audition where she was turned down because the male lead didn’t approve of her. It’s likely that in a disaster film, the power would be taken out of the actor’s hands and back to the studio. Their first priority would be cutting back on costs and, as harsh as it might sound, an older woman would probably be cheaper to cast.

Sadly, disaster movies are few and far between so their industry-shifting power is likely to be minimal. This year we still have to look forward toTom Cruise flirting with 32-year-old Rebecca Ferguson in the next Mission: Impossible film and Bradley Cooper shacking up with Emma Stone, despite a 14-year age difference.

But with apocalyptic action films attempting to address the imbalance, it’s reassuring that even when the world is ending, gender equality is at the top of the agenda. After avoiding that tidal wave.

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