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Half your age + 7 is a well known formula for age appropriate dating. By staying within this age range, one is meant to avoid socially unacceptable, i.e. creepy pairings. We examined how Hollywood films measure on the ickiness scale.
Most people actually prefer smaller age gaps than allowed by the aforementioned formula. And when it comes to marriage, majority of us stay within a 3-year age gap. Why should the movies not reflect this reality?
Onscreen couple age gaps in Hollywood
We collected data on 30 random films that include a romantic storyline and tried applying the ‘Half your age plus 7’ rule on them. It confirmed something we already knew – the leading men come in all ages (and shapes and sizes), while the ladies remain young and fresh. As a result, many movie couples fall deep into the creepy zone. It seems in Hollywood the rule is ‘Half your age minus 7’ – if you’re male.
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- American Gangster (2007), Denzel Washington (52) & Lymari Nadal (29)23
- Six Days Seven Nights (1998), Harrison Ford (55) & Anne Heche (29)26
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s…(2006), Johnny Depp (43) & Keira Knightly (21)22
- Memento (2000), Guy Pearce (33) & Carrie Ann Moss (33)0
- Entrapment (1999), Sean Connery (69) & Catherine Zeta-Jones (30)39
- Titanic (1997), Leonardo DiCaprio (23) & Kate Winslet (24)1
- Gone with the Wind (1939), Clark Gable (38) & Vivien Leigh (26)12
- Casablanca (1942), Humphrey Bogart (43) & Ingrid Bergman (27)16
- Raging Bull (1980), Robert DeNiro (37) & Cathy Moriarty (20)17
- Forrest Gump (1994), Tom Hanks (38) & Robin Wright (28)10
- Annie Hall (1977), Woody Allen (42) & Diane Keaton (31)11
- Good Will Hunting (1997), Matt Damon (27) & Minnie Driver (27)0
- Pulp Fiction (1994), John Travolta (40) & Uma Thurman (24)16
- Rear Window (1954), James Stewart (46) & Grace Kelly (25)21
- Notebook (2004), Ryan Gosling (24) & Rachel McAdams (26)2
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Robert Downey Jr. (40) & Michelle Monaghan (29)11
- As Good as It Gets (1997), Jack Nicholson (60) & Helen Hunt (34)24
- Love Actually (2003), Liam Neeson (51) & Claudia Schiffer (33)18
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Tom Hanks (36) & Meg Ryan (31)5
- Third Person (2013), Liam Neeson (61) & Olivia Wilde (29)32
- Magic in the Moonlight (2014), Colin Firth (53) & Emma Stone (25)28
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Bradley Cooper (39) & Jennifer Lawrence (23)16
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Daniel Graig (43) & Rooney Mara (26)17
- The Rum Diary (2011), Johnny Depp (48) & Amber Heard (25)23
- When Harry Met Sally (1989), Billy Chrystal (41) & Meg Ryan (28)13
- Mamma Mia! (2008), Pierce Brosnan (55) & Meryl Streep (59)4
- Dear John (2010), Channing Tatum (30) & Amanda Seyfried (25)5
- The Water Diviner (2014), Russell Crowe (50) & Olga Kurylenko (35)15
- Before Sunset (2004), Ethan Hawke (34) & Julie Delpy (35)1
- Before Midnight (2013), Ethan Hawke (43) & Julie Delpy (44)1
Where Are the Senior Love Stories?
Fancy finding an untapped market? There is something exceptional about Mamma Mia (no. 26 on the chart) – it featured several romantic plot lines of women in their late 50s. It also became the highest grossing musical of all time. Say what you want about the cheery Abba flick, senior romance is on high demand.
There’s hardly competition, so now is the time to write that endearing story of empty nests and second chances. You can take your pick of the talented and experienced actresses who – since hitting 35 – have been tightening their foreheads, toning their arms and waiting for Meryl Streep to retire.
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