Blake Lively and her newest film, “The Age Of Adaline,” are a breath of fresh air compared to other films that have hit theaters in the past few months.
The movie tells the story of Adaline Bowman (Lively), who is involved in a tragic, seemingly fatal car accident at age 29.
However, a rare phenomenon occurs with the help of some water and lightning that revives Adaline and causes her aging process to completely stop.
And so, she now must live her life changing her name and moving towns every so often, and accepting the fact that her daughter now looks like her grandmother.
As always, Lively is stunning and flawlessly dressed at all times. Whether she's dressed in clothes for the '30s, '60s or '00s, her hair, makeup and outfits are gorgeous. In addition, her graceful gait, quick wit and gentle voice make it even harder to not fall in love with her classy character.
Adaline’s main love interest in the film, Ellis (Michiel Huisman), is also a major hunk. Boys could take a few dating pointers from this guy.
At the time Ellis meets Adaline, her current alias is Jennifer “Jenny” Larson and is working at a local library. After meeting her at a New Year’s Eve party, Ellis decides to send Adaline what he calls flowers, which are actually books with flowers in their titles.
Ellis falls quickly for Adaline, who is technically 107 years old now. She tries to push him away and keep her distance, because she knows the relationship can never have a future, but she eventually cannot resist his charm.
Huisman plays the intelligent, funny, romantic character brilliantly and is the most convincing actor in the film’s cast. Harrison Ford plays Ellis’s father, William, who, as it turns out, dated Adaline in the ‘60s. You can't go wrong with Harrison Ford.
Matters start become complicated when Ellis and Adaline (or “Jenny”) visit for the weekend.
William is amazed by Jenny’s resemblance to Adaline, whom Jenny claims to be her mother. He insists on digging deeper. Ford excellently portrays a man who loved and lost, but won’t give up his dreams or instincts.
Adaline’s many lives and love stories are both haunting and enchanting, and the plot is surprisingly unique. The flashbacks from Adaline’s past will keep viewers interested throughout the film.
The narration by Hugh Ross combined with the movie’s special effects add even more intrigue to the film’s melodramatic appeal.
Adaline learns that a life without love is not worth living and the film’s slogan, “love is timeless” couldn’t be more fitting.
The filmmakers have done an excellent job of combining romance, humor and a bit of science fiction to make “The Age of Adaline” a must-see movie for viewers of all ages.
Reach the reporter at bridget.dowd@asu.edu or follow @bridgetbernice on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
