Andie MacDowell, 61, has a new interview with Jezebel to promote her role in the underappreciated horror movie Ready or Not. She plays the snobby rich mom to a young man who brings his bride-to-be home for a violent vetting process that’s family tradition. I say it’s underappreciated but I haven’t seen it yet, I’ve only seen the trailer and positive reviews. I put Andie’s age right in the opener because she’s one of those actresses I keep thinking is at least 5 to 10 years younger, no matter how many times I look up her age.
Her Jezebel interview is just three minutes long but it’s full of great quotes. She talks about ageism in her industry, about MeToo, and about how she’s been conditioned to just accept men’s bad behavior. Here’s what she said and you can see the video here.
When I was in my 30s I had projects coming to me. Now I’m just hoping to find a project. Every once in a while a miracle happens. Most roles are written around 30 year-olds. They don’t explore the life of mature people. We’re somebody’s mother or grandmother. Every once in a while we get lucky and we’re an interesting mother or grandmother.
Every journalist asked me ‘How does it feel to turn 40 and know you’re not going to work anymore.’ It’s the same thing as when Hillary was talking about running and everyone was saying ‘Are we ready for a woman president’?
Me Too and Times Up has changed a lot of things. People are starting to think before they behave. It’s also a personal level what I’ve had to accept. I’m so used to being treated a certain way, my time period, where I come from, I’ve accepted certain behaviors that it’s hard to remember I can stand up for myself.
It’s hard to react appropriately because I’m so trained to be submissive and polite.
I like what she said about having trouble responding to men’s bad behavior because we’re trained from a young age to be nice. I especially like how she phrased her response, because it’s completely appropriate to call men out. My aunt’s ex husband was telling my mom at a wedding how beautiful I was and I told him it was creepy. My mom kind of kicked me to shut up but it was creepy! He was saying it lasciviously. Say I’m a lovely young woman (I know I’m not that young) or I turned out great or something vague, don’t comment on my looks like you’re attracted to me. That’s gross from anyone but especially someone who is practically family. Men suck. (Not all men, yada yada.)
Andie MacDowell has always been one of my favorites and I’ll watch anything she’s in. I especially love her voice. Take note casting directors.
Photos credit: Avalon.red
She looks amazing. Her hair is everything!
And she’s right, I was taught above all else to always be polite (and I’m decades younger than her, but had a traditional upbringing). I’ve noticed that girls a few years younger than me feel much less of a need to be polite to misbehaving men, and will call out bad behavior on the spot. The only way it will change is if we refuse to accept it, and I definitely could do better in that regard.
Agree, I’ve had men do/say inappropriate things and I’ve frozen up. I don’t react quick enough. I think it was so ingrained in me to be nice that when needed, I don’t know what to say or do quick enough. I so admire young women that snap back quickly when faced w inappropriate behavior by men.
Same here. I’m trying to do better in that regard.
She’s great. I love what she said, sad as it is.
So many survivors of sexual assault and coercion blame themselves because they were brought up to be nice. They victim blame before anyone else does.
They were given that role but that’s only part of the party.
If boys were also brought up to be nice everything would be great.
If sex wasn’t sold as something that had to be cajoled or taken or forced from women, we’d also have a better chance.
It isn’t our nice behaviour that causes the terrible behaviour. It is the entitled sexualised conquering misogynistic society we are forced to endure.
Thanks to streaming I’ve discovered that Europe has been making great movies about women of ALL ages. French ones are simply fabulous! It’s the Americans who don’t explore stories of women over 50’s. Their loss. Shrug.
What’s your favorite place to stream foreign films? I’ve been in the mood lately, but the usual suspects are coming up short for me. I’ve started exploring Kanopy, which my public library subscribes to. Looking for more!
That IS creepy and I’m glad you called him out on it. That’s part of the problem – these men aren’t being called out on their behavior in real time.
Agreed. Very inappropriate. I also think there is an issue with other women scolding women for speaking out. I feel like that is also part of the problem. Women have been so conditioned to tolerate this behavior that at times we will criticize other women for daring to challenge it.
“I also think there is an issue with other women scolding women for speaking out. I fee! like that is also part of the problem. Women have been so conditioned to tolerate this behavior that at times we will criticize other women for daring to challenge it.”
This is true with so true with so many different awful behaviors from men. A lot of what’s in the misogynistic ramblings of men like Elliott Rodgers, Roosh Valizadeh, Chris Brown, the Dayton shooter, Waseem Azeem, and so many others are things women are consistently pressured by both sexes to treat as NBD, never as bad as someone else’s (usually men’s) problems, or not men’s/misogynists’ fault.
Internalized misogyny is real. And it’s the thing that a lot of men use against women. They know some women will “tow the line” for them and protect them.
Andie McDowell lived in the same city as I, and we would see her bagging her own groceries at Whole Foods and taking her kids to the Y for swim lessons. She’s a nice lady, and pretty down-to-earth. I aspire to age as well as she has.
Stories like this always make me happy!
I was raised traditionally as well. Via Emily Post. Expected to swallow, ‘boys will be boys.’ Don’t be loud. Don’t draw attention. Don’t scowl. Sit straight. Cross your ankles. Never call boys. Never let them kiss you early in the relationship. And for God’s sake, DON’T ASK QUESTIONS.
Mom must have had chronic coronaries thinking I was the devil’s spawn. I was a tomboy. I loved mixing my feminine and masculine clothing. I loved hanging out with my girlfriends and then running around with boys and punching them when they said stupid shit. I questioned everything and fought about it too. Poor mom. If she had only been proud of her equal opportunistic daughter. The daughter that stood up to bullying and loathed pantyhose lol. The rebel rocker that had friends from almost every walk of life, who dated who she wanted regardless of race. The same daughter who was furious her bridesmaids couldn’t wear black because…the horror! I guess I’ve been fighting my whole life when I lay it out like that. I’ll probably die a troublemaker. 😀
I like you Mabs. I did the same, got hella called out for it. Shrank for a while. Somewhat back to form..
When she first started out she was ridiculed for having Glenn close dub all her vocals in Tarzan. This was before Glenn close had any career. She was thought of as not pretty enough and Andie was too “southern sounding” I guess because I love her voice too.
I watched “Groundhog Day” again a couple of weeks ago. What a great romantic comedy! She and Bill Murray are delightful in it…
I get the creepy comment as a young woman thing. My mother used to dress me up in her clothes-they weren’t suggestive, but they did make me look like a mini adult-and old couples would come out of nowhere to say how beautiful and well behaved I was. I don’t know if it creeped me out sexually so much as it made me feel like a well trained shiny pony. Later, when I got older the same thing happened when I was out with my mom and I was wearing my own adult-not so modest-clothes. Then, the creepy set in.
Andie needs a series where she is a widowed single mother solving crimes. Murder She Wrote, but in a southern mountain (or seaside, I’m not picky) resort town.
Please give me all the monies, thank you.
I would watch the hell outta that show!
Thanks for bringing up your experience. We have a creeper in the family (too long hugs, wandering hands) and sometimes I feel so mean because I’ve got his number and I watch him like a hawk especially around anyone younger and female. He knows it, and he’s really careful around me, but I feel bad because he’s really old and won’t be around for much longer. I’m outwardly polite, even warm, but there’s always an underlying tension. This makes me feel better about it, thanks.
Great job trusting your gut! Keep it up! It’s more important that potential prey stay 100% safe then that his feelings are protected.