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natural ebbs and flows
romantically, sexually and
emotionally?
Craig T. Nelson: If you're
married to your best friend, as I
am, and I'm married thirty-four
years now, then you have to
realize you're going to have ups
and downs. You're physically
going to change, emotionally
you're going to change. You
have to adapt and change,
and be prepared for that
stuff. That's also part of the
adventure. It seems like just
yesterday I was talking to older
actors about aging. I was a
young working actor, and they
were all telling me how difficult
it was for them and how they
were approaching a period in
their life where they felt they
weren't working as much.
I think they felt neglected
and not as respected. I can
remember a lot of guys talking
about that. When it started
happening to me, it was like,
"Whoa! Wait a minute here."
But at least I have the tools. I
think I was prepared for it to a
certain degree.
Allison Kugel: With the
hit series Grace and
Frankie, and with this
movie, Book Club, it
seems that Hollywood is
now gaining a little more
respect for stories about
mature people.
Craig T. Nelson: I think this
movie will help. It brings some
awareness, which I think is
good, but ageism has been
prevalent in this business for a
long time.
Allison Kugel: The Baby
Boomer generation are
such a huge segment of
the population, they have
tremendous spending
power, and they want
to see stories about
themselves.
Craig T. Nelson: Right, but
as you see in television, for
example, you've got a specific
demographic that's usually
being targeted. I have always
argued, even back when I
was doing Coach (the ABC
sitcom Nelson starred in
from 1989 to 1997), that
it's not necessarily accurate.
I agree that a lot of buying
power rests in the hands of
people who are approaching
retirement, and in their forties
and fifties. It's like with the glut
of action movies we're getting
and have had for a while. What
is that? It's enough already. I
would much rather see stories
like Book Club, which I feel
are specific, well written and
truthful. I'm fine with animated
movies about superheroes.
Obviously, I don't have a
problem with that. I don't have
a problem with action films
either, except that there is just
