AARP The Magazine has unveiled the winners of the 21st annual Movies for Grownups® Awards, featuring honorees from Abbott Elementary, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, The Whale, and more, as Top Gun: Maverick was awarded Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups, the evening’s top honor.
The event, which was hosted by Alan Cumming, was broadcast nationwide by Great Performances on Friday, February 17 on PBS.
The evening’s highlights included Austin Butler, who delivered a touching introduction for Best Director winner Baz Luhrmann for Elvis. “No matter what the subject is, his intent is to create art for audiences of all ages to enjoy together,” Butler said. “The stories are specific, and his messages are universal.”
Another memorable moment from the evening was Jamie Lee Curtis who received this year’s Career Achievement Award, which was presented to her by Brian Tyree Henry. “At the end of the day, what I love most about grownups is that we are more alike than different – grown ups suit up and show up each day, regardless of the way our cards were dealt,” said Curtis. “It’s the beauty of grownups and I’m honored to be considered one because it’s a badge of honor that I wear proudly on my face, on my body, in my mind and in my soul and I’m grateful for AARP tonight for this beautiful recognition.” Curtis won the 2023 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the film, Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Additional noteworthy moments included Alan Cumming’s musical parody of the beloved song, “My Favorite Things” altered to include his favorite “binge-worthy things,” Lisa Anne Walter who presented the award for Best TV Actress to Sheryl Lee Ralph for Abbott Elementary, who thanked “AARP for shining a light on aging,” and Hong Chau who presented the award for Best Actor to Brendan Fraser for his role in The Whale. The evening closed out with Glen Powell who presented the award for Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups to Jerry Bruckheimer for Top Gun: Maverick.
For more than two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has championed movies for grownups, by grownups, by advocating for the 50-plus audience, fighting industry ageism, and encouraging films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers.
“We are delighted to celebrate and honor these talented filmmakers, that made the 50-plus audience excited to stream the best that TV has to offer, or go back to the theatres and enjoy movies once again,” said Heather Nawrocki, VP of AARP’s Movies for Grownups program. “The older audience loves to be entertained, and this year’s awardees do not disappoint!”
To learn more about AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups, visit http://www.aarp.org/moviesforgrownups
The complete list of the Annual Movies for Grownups Awards Winners:
- Career Achievement: Jamie Lee Curtis
- Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups: Top Gun: Maverick
- Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
- Best Actor: Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
- Best Supporting Actress: Judith Ivey (Women Talking)
- Best Supporting Actor: Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans)
- Best Director: Baz Luhrmann (Elvis)
- Best Screenwriter: Kazuo Ishiguro (Living)
- Best Ensemble: She Said
- Best Intergenerational: Till
- Best Time Capsule: Elvis
- Best Grownup Love Story: Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
- Best Documentary: Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
- Best Foreign Film: The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
- Best Actress (TV): Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary)
- Best Actor (TV): Jeff Bridges (The Old Man)
- Best TV Series: The Old Man
- Best TV Movie/Limited Series: Black Bird
