Films about transitioning to adulthood have been a Hollywood staple for years. Some of today’s biggest stars got their start as 20-somethings in mostly carefree, coming-of-age movies.
But what about the often more complicated progression from our 20s to 30s? There have been fewer of those treatments on the big screen – that is, until now.
This summer, charming indies and comedies explore what could be one of life’s most challenging decades, but always with humour. And there are some surprising box-office potential for studios.
While the 30s can be a satisfying time, full of firsts such as marriage, buying a home and having children, the period can also bring tough crossroads both personally and professionally.
Yet, films such as Neighbors and Happy Christmas and the forthcoming Wish I Was Here highlight the humour in common plights of those in their 30s while offering everyday relevancy to audiences in that age group.
In Neighbors, a couple (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) with a newborn baby buy their first house, but their life is disrupted when a fraternity (led by Zac Efron) moves in next door.
“Yes, there are ridiculous, outrageous jokes,” says Dave Karger, the chief correspondent of the movie ticket-seller Fandango. “But there’s also real poignancy there and very relatable characters in their 30s.”
In Happy Christmas, an irresponsible 20-something (Anna Kendrick) moves in with her 30-something brother (Joe Swanberg), who has a 2-year-old with his wife (Melanie Lynskey), a stay-at-home mum who starts writing a trashy novel to ease her boredom.
A decade after Zach Braff tackled tragedy as someone in their 20s in Garden State, he portrays love and loss as it affects someone in their 30s in Wish I Was Here (scheduled to be released in the United States later this month). The movie follows a struggling actor (Braff) who must home-school his two kids after his father's cancer worsens and he can no longer afford private school. Kate Hudson plays his wife, a woman who hates her job, but must stick it out to provide for her family.
“What that age group is going through, it’s not just a wacky high-school night out or a college first love,” says Karger. “The particular themes, like an early midlife crisis, are really interesting.”
Character-based films have never been an easy sell for studios or audiences, notes Karger. “The main audience that you think of at the theatre is teen boys and 20-somethings.”
But the 25- to 39-year-old demographic actually makes up the largest amount of frequent moviegoers.
In 2013, that group equalled 23 per cent of those who go to the cinemas more than once a month, according to the 2013 Theatrical Market Statistics Report by the Motion Picture Association of America. This age group was also the highest in 2011 and 2012.
Other recent films targeted for the 25 to 39 demo include Blended, starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler; Begin Again, with Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley; and They Came Together, featuring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd.
Though they won’t tally as much as the superhero flicks, films targeting 30-somethings can be among the most profitable because they don’t cost as much to make.
"The good ones have a long shelf life," says Alex Ben Block, the senior film editor of The Hollywood Reporter. "With classic movies of the genre, like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle or Bridget Jones's Diary, you got a pretty good run in the theatre and then in home video, DVD or digital."
The stars’ likeability and familiarity also matter, adds Block. “This audience is sophisticated. They aren’t going to the movies just to go.”
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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How Beautiful this world is!
Our legal consultant
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
