--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think films about elderly people…" description: "\"I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much. I think of Cocoon and Driving Miss Daisy. But they always seem to be fairly successf..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/maggie-smith-8377_aging_i-don-t-think-films-about-elderly-people_2164165.jpg" --- # I don't think films about elderly people have been made… ![“I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much. I think of Cocoon and Driving Miss Daisy. But they always seem to be fairly successful, so it's a bit baffling as to why everybody has to be treated as if they were five-years-old.” quote by Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/maggie-smith-8377_aging_i-don-t-think-films-about-elderly-people_2164165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/maggie-smith-8377_aging_i-don-t-think-films-about-elderly-people_2164165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/maggie-smith-8377_aging_i-don-t-think-films-about-elderly-people_2164165.jpg) > “I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much. I think of Cocoon and Driving Miss Daisy. But they always seem to be fairly successful, so it's a bit baffling as to why everybody has to be treated as if they were five-years-old.” [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the scarcity of films focusing on elderly protagonists and the tendency to simplify their portrayal for broader appeal. **In simple terms:** Elderly characters are underrepresented and often patronized in cinema. Key Takeaway Advocate for nuanced, respectful stories about older adults. Themes age representation media stereotypes film industry Mood thoughtful concerned Type observational critical When to use this quote - film criticism - advocacy - scriptwriting - casting decisions - audience reception Key Concepts cultural perception ageism storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How can filmmakers balance authenticity with marketability? - What stories about aging remain untold? A Different Perspective May overlook the commercial risk and audience preferences for younger leads. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Cocoons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cocoons/) [Driving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/) [Driving Miss Daisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving-miss-daisy/) [Elderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly/) [Elderly People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly-people/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Five year olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-year-olds/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-don-t-think-films-about-elderly-people-have-been-made-very-much/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Suddenly you're the mom, or you go from ... You're not an ingénue, you don't want to play an ingénue, but it's like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/suddenly-you-re-the-mom-or-you-go-from-you-re-not-an-ing-nue-you-don/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [It would be fun to be eighty-five and have a Broadway debut. That's the goal I'm shooting for. When they revive 'Driving Miss Daisy'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-shor/it-would-be-fun-to-be-eighty-five-and-have-a-broadway-debut-that-s/) [Miriam Shor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-shor/) > [Just because you're big doesn't mean you're going to be successful. The beauty of the motion picture business is that you can make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-rich/just-because-you-re-big-doesn-t-mean-you-re-going-to-be-successful/) Lee Rich > [There are only three ages for women in Hollywood-Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/there-are-only-three-ages-for-women-in-hollywood-babe-district/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [“And in the incendiary wake of Michael Brown’s and Eric Garner’s deaths at the hands of white police officers in the summer of 2014,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-tannahill/and-in-the-incendiary-wake-of-michael-brown-s-and-eric-garner-s/) Jordan Tannahill > [I had a tough time 12 years ago getting 'Driving Miss Daisy' off the ground. Today, it would be impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-d-zanuck/i-had-a-tough-time-12-years-ago-getting-driving-miss-daisy-off-the/) [Richard D. Zanuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-d-zanuck/) > [When we were trying to get the money for Driving Miss Daisy, everyone kept saying no one could direct it well enough to entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beresford/when-we-were-trying-to-get-the-money-for-driving-miss-daisy-everyone/) [Bruce Beresford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beresford/) > [“have you seen Driving Miss Daisy, The Last Stand?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-parke/have-you-seen-driving-miss-daisy-the-last-stand/) [Graham Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-parke/) > [Jessica Tandy. Nice company! And Ruth Gordon. They worked all along. She didn't really get any big star recognition until Driving Miss Daisy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/jessica-tandy-nice-company-and-ruth-gordon-they-worked-all-along-she/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [I think about my films for a long time, maybe years, but I write them in days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-kashyap/i-think-about-my-films-for-a-long-time-maybe-years-but-i-write-them/) [Anurag Kashyap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-kashyap/) > [There are so many factors when you think of your own films. You think of the people you worked on it with, and somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/there-are-so-many-factors-when-you-think-of-your-own-films-you-think/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [I do not think that my films or films by any other filmmaker represent "THE TRUTH." I do not feel the need to categorize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-wiseman/i-do-not-think-that-my-films-or-films-by-any-other-filmmaker/) [Frederick Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-wiseman/) > [I think films give us the possibility to see, within the destiny of a single individual, the destiny of a collective group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/i-think-films-give-us-the-possibility-to-see-within-the-destiny-of-a/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [Some films are pure entertainment of course, but what interests me and what I want to do are projects that really make you think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-tautou/some-films-are-pure-entertainment-of-course-but-what-interests-me-and/) [Audrey Tautou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-tautou/) ## More by Maggie Smith > [If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-process-of-making-a-film-it/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [There were male colleges, and there were very few female colleges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/there-were-male-colleges-and-there-were-very-few-female-colleges/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Try not to cry too much because it can be pretty heart-breaking and pretty hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/try-not-to-cry-too-much-because-it-can-be-pretty-heart-breaking-and/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [There's a difference between solitude and loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/there-s-a-difference-between-solitude-and-loneliness/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I know there is something out there and like most people, I tend to believe in it more when things go bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-know-there-is-something-out-there-and-like-most-people-i-tend-to/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [When you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/when-you-get-into-the-granny-era-you-re-lucky-to-get-anything/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Sort of what you do in drama school when asked to play something way out of your reach. Anyway, we used to laugh a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/sort-of-what-you-do-in-drama-school-when-asked-to-play-something-way/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I think lots of actors are very nervous and shy. I know lots of them who are, and some who aren't of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-think-lots-of-actors-are-very-nervous-and-shy-i-know-lots-of-them/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Little girls, I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the crème de la crème.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/little-girls-i-am-in-the-business-of-putting-old-heads-on-young/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [The drama school was in Oxford - and it's funny to think of it, but in those days when I started out the University…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/the-drama-school-was-in-oxford-and-it-s-funny-to-think-of-it-but-in/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [“Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/life-is-short-though-i-keep-this-from-my-children-life-is-short-and-i/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Chris and Toby are far too sane to be upset any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/chris-and-toby-are-far-too-sane-to-be-upset-any-more/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [We can't escape the shadow, so the best thing we can do is notice the light and be open to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/we-can-t-escape-the-shadow-so-the-best-thing-we-can-do-is-notice-the/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I find it very difficult to do anything on my own now because people recognize me. This has never happened to me before because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-find-it-very-difficult-to-do-anything-on-my-own-now-because-people/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I just did adore Daniel - Daniel Radcliffe, who I had worked with before "Harry Potter" and spent a long time telling all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-just-did-adore-daniel-daniel-radcliffe-who-i-had-worked-with-before/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) [Explore all 81 Maggie Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) ## More Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much. I think of Cocoon and Driving Miss Daisy. 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