Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Roseburg church receives 1,000 paper cranes in memory of Umpqua shooting ... Medford shop runs afoul of city again, as complaints surface over 'unsightly' lots ... Local pantry shelves in dire need of food ... Roseburg church receives 1,000 paper cranes in memory of Umpqua shooting ... Medford shop runs afoul of city again, as complaints surface over 'unsightly' lots ... Local pantry shelves in dire need of food ... Movie review: 'Age of Adaline' is sweet but a little sloppy Comment By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger MailTribune.com By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Staying 29 forever is every woman’s fantasy. But, as “Gossip Girl” alum Blake Lively finds out in the predictable but endearing love story “Age of Adaline,” that blessing becomes a burden. Lively is radiant as the title character, Adaline Bowman, a sophisticated turn-of-the-20th-century beauty who magically stopped aging at 29. Directed by Lee Toland (“Celeste and Jesse Forever”) from a script by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz, the film is as much a rumination on love and aging as it is a to-die-for fashion show featuring costumes and hairstyles from just about every era since the 1930s. Early on, an unseen narrator (Hugh Ross) sets the rules for the picture, as he provides a history lesson on how Adaline must change her name and address every 10 years to protect her anonymity. It begins in the early 1930s, when a “highly unusual” car accident stunts Adaline’s ability to age. There’s a lot of science and stars behind the explanation, but suffice to say a high-voltage lightning beam has enabled Adaline to discover the elusive Fountain of Youth. Her hair doesn’t gray or thin; her skin doesn’t wrinkle; her metabolism isn’t slowed. Her friends are suspicious. She becomes somewhat of a curiosity. The FBI takes notice. It’s then that Adaline leaves behind her college-age daughter, Flemming (Cate Richardson) and goes on the run, committing to a decades-long solitary existence. Until, at age 106, she falls for a persistent philanthropist played by “Game of Thrones” hunk Michiel Huisman (Daenerys Targaryen’s lover). Huisman’s Ellis doesn’t know about Adaline’s condition. He thinks she’s Jenny Larson, an alluring archivist for the city of San Francisco. At first, she brushes him off, but at the urging of her now-elderly daughter (Ellen Burstyn), Adaline gives love a chance. In so doing, Adaline goes against her own advice: “Don’t get sloppy. It’s the little things that’ll trip you up.” Foreshadowing, for sure, as her secret is suddenly threatened after meeting Ellis’ parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker). Your tolerance of the film’s central conceit depends on how much of a hopeless romantic you are and your openness to rampant implausibility. But Lively is so appealing that you cut her a break. She gets a lot of help from a strong supporting cast, led by Ford, doing his best work since “42,” albeit in small role. As Ford’s younger doppelganger seen in flashback, look-alike Anthony Ingruber perfectly apes Ford’s gravelly voice and presence. Ford and Lively share a pleasing chemistry, but most of the emotional impact derives from Burstyn and Lively’s sweet daughter-mother dynamic. Lively is far less successful setting off sparks with Huisman, whose Ellis meets Adaline cute in an elevator on New Year’s Eve. They’re a dud. In fact, Lively has more going on with those delicious vintage coifs than she does with him. Theirs is not a romance for the ages. Dana Barbuto may be reached at [email protected], or you can follow her on Twitter at @dbarbuto_Ledger. “AGE OF ADALINE,” rated PG-13 for a suggestive comment. Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Bates, Harrison Ford. Grade: B. By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger MailTribune.com By Dana Barbuto The Patriot Ledger Posted Apr. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501