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Harrison Ford says he had most of the 'old man jokes' removed from the new Indiana Jones

Ageism is another “ism” in Hollywood that needs to go.

via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

Harrison Ford on the red carpet at Celebrity Fight Night XXIII at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.

Harrison Ford, 80, is throwing on his leather jacket and fedora for one last time in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which is expected to hit theaters in June 2023. The film is about Indy’s lifelong foes, the Nazis, being involved with NASA at the height of the space race.

It’s been 15 years since Ford played Indy on the big screen in 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” In that film, Indy makes numerous quips about being in his mid-60s, noting that he’s still a professor but only “part-time,” and after a failed swing from his bullwhip, he admits his eyesight isn’t what it once was. “Damn, I thought that was closer!” he says.

His son, Mutt Williams, even overestimates his age, asking, “What are you, like, 80?” But now that he’s 80 in “Dial of Destiny,” there won’t be any old man jokes in the picture.

“Yeah. In [Dial of Destiny] there were a lot of old jokes in the script. We took them all out,” Ford told The Hollywood Reporter. “There is a moment where he observes himself in this situation and says, ‘What the f**k am I doing in here?’ But I hate what I call ‘talking about the story.’ I want to see circumstances in which the audience gets a chance to experience the story, not to be led through the nose with highlights pointed out to them. I’d rather create behavior that is the joke of age rather than talk about it."

The film's writer and director, James Mangold, said that the film reflects where Indy is currently in his life.

“The mistake you can make in movies is when someone is of a ripe age but the movie continues this charade that they’re not that old,” Mangold said. “Every challenge he faces is through the reality of what someone of that age would be dealing with.”

Ford’s decision to excise all the old man jokes in his last run as Indiana Jones is a blow to one of the oldest “isms” still prevalent in Hollywood: ageism. Older people are subject to all sorts of negative stereotypes, so it’s great that Ford—a man in incredible shape for his age—doesn’t want to promote them.

The notion that older people are bumbling, forgetful, out of touch and physically frail can have a very negative effect on their well-being.

“Ageism remains one of the most institutionalized forms of prejudice today,” Todd Nelson, Ph.D., professor of psychology at California State University, Stanislaus, told the Association of Health Care Journalists. “Our entire society tells older people, you are useless, unwanted, and a burden. It tells younger people that getting old is bad, and being old is worse.”

Further, everyone ages differently. To paint such a large swatch of humanity with the same brush reduces people to little more than a number. When in reality, age brings a host of qualities that younger people should wish to have such as experience, confidence and wisdom.

It’s wonderful that we get to see Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in one final adventure, regardless of how old he happens to be. After all, as he famously told Marion Ravenwood in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “It’s not the years” that matter, it’s the “mileage.”

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg shared some serious hope for the future — both hers and ours.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wants to stay "at least" another five years.

Ginsburg, 85, was attending a play on Sunday, July 29, about her former SCOTUS colleague Antonin Scalia when she was asked how much longer she expects to stay on the nation’s highest court.

She pointed to another former justice as a good barometer.

"I'm now 85," Ginsburg said. "My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years."

Photo by Allison Shelley/Getty Images.

In the last several years, Ginsburg has become a favorite justice amongst progressives, especially women.

It's fairly unusual for a sitting Supreme Court Justice to have developed such a cult following. But the RBG fandom is definitely at a fevered pitch. A new documentary, "RBG," explores how she’s become a pop-culture phenomenon despite being at an age when many people are well into their retirement.

Ginsburg is a beloved and outspoken member of the court, and her recent statement sent a wave of relief across social media and reassured her fans — and critics — that she isn’t planning to leave anytime soon.

She also offered some guiding words about the future.

When asked what keeps her "hopeful" about what's to come, Ginsburg didn’t mince words. Things are always in flux, particularly in politics:

What might seem overwhelming today could be old news tomorrow.

"My dear spouse would say that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle — it is the pendulum," Ginsburg said. "And when it goes very far in one direction, you can count on its swinging back."

In the meantime, it’s good to know she’s sticking around to keep the pendulum a little more in check and to inspire others, assuring them that they can and do make a difference in the world.

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Ava DuVernay's powerful message about finding your passion later in life is a must-read.

Ava DuVernay is the Oscar-nominated director of the harrowing documentary "The 13th" and has made other notable films such as "A Wrinkle in Time," "Queen Sugar," and more.

She's seemingly always creating. (Seriously, does this woman sleep?)

As successful as DuVernay is, it's no surprise that fans regularly ask her how she made it or if they've missed their moment.

When a fan wanted to know whether he still had time to pursue his passion, she had a lovely bit of wisdom to share:

"I picked up a camera for the first time at the age of 32," she tweeted. "I continued working a full-time job while directing my first 5 feature length projects. It's never too late to pursue your passion."

Her message was simple: It's never too late.

Sometimes, when the internet's busy spitting out memes about "all the things you should have accomplished by the time you're 35" — or friends and loved ones are asking, "When are you going to settle down?" — it may feel like the moment to find who you are has passed. And that's not true.

Some notable examples: Julia Child hadn't even tried an oyster before age 36. Vera Wang didn't start designing gowns until she was 40. And some of your favorite actors, including Jon Hamm and Amy Poehler, didn't hit their stride until they were well into their 30s.

DuVernay's right: It's never too late to pursue passion. Figure out what you love, take small steps toward it, and get busy creating the life that you want.

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7 simple tips for women seeking authentic happiness in their 40s.

Kathy* is an active mom of three with a successful career and, by all accounts, a good life.

Shortly after her 46th birthday, Kathy found a lump in her breast. A biopsy was done and she was waiting for the results. Kathy is one of my personal life coaching clients (her name has been changed to protect her privacy and keep our work confidential).

She came to me in the thick of midlife and, as many women her age do, was reassessing everything she'd done up until now.

The moment she walked through the door, Kathy announced, "It’s benign!" Her relief was palpable. As we sat down for our session, we got quiet. Soon, she began to cry.

"I am relieved, of course," she said," but all I could think about before they called me with the results was, 'What if this is it? I mean, my life — what am I really doing with my life? Am I really living it how my soul wants me to live it?!'  And I answered, 'No, I’m not.'"

Here, I thought, is a woman about to gain clarity on what matters most to her.

Maybe you’ve had a health scare like Kathy. Maybe one evening, late at night, when everyone was asleep, you admitted to yourself that you aren’t satisfied — in the bedroom or the boardroom. Maybe you find yourself dreaming about going on a retreat or taking a vacation — by yourself. Maybe, one otherwise ordinary day, you had enough of being ignored and putting everyone’s needs before your own, and as you are unloading the dishwasher, you pick up a plate and smash it on the floor.

Image via iStock.

"It’s not a midlife crisis," my older and wiser friend once told me. "It’s a midlife awakening."

Women in midlife aren’t looking to "get back the joy" of their twenties. We are looking to name, claim, and embody authentic joy now as wise women, who want to live according to what is most sacred to us.

It's not an easy or neat process, but there are simple ways a woman can own her space as wise, independent, and happy. Here are seven suggestions:

1. She can practice radical self-responsibility.

She does away with the "blame game." Yes, she has been hurt, rejected, and dumped. The actions of others weren’t her fault, but she recognizes how she responds to what happens in life is her responsibility.

She owns her healing and thrives by treating herself with gentleness and kindness. She commits to self-regard.

2. She can clear out the clutter to enjoy empty space.

She might go through the whole house and ruthlessly get rid of anything that doesn’t bring joy. But beyond that, she starts to give up negative beliefs about her self-worth that have taken up too much space. She stops devoting time to relationships that don't nourish her and focuses on the people who do.

3. She can forgive her parents.

Her parents are human, and whether they're still alive or have passed away, she starts to let go of what she held against them.

Image via iStock.

4. She can set healthy boundaries.

She recognizes that it’s time to stop sacrificing her self-care and consider her needs — before work, family, and friends that might drain her. She starts to say "no" to what depletes her and "yes" to what is vital for her to thrive. She stops justifying her response.

5. She can stop comparing herself to other women.

When she sees another woman standing in her brilliance and power, she sees this as inspiration for her to risk living, loving, and expressing herself. She decides to be bold.

6. She can name her deeper longings.

She may go on retreat or check into a local hotel room so she can have space to listen to her heart. After decades, she knows that if she keeps pushing away her heart’s longings, she is going to turn bitter.  She follows her gut and takes the "right steps" for her.

7. She can decide to honor her longings.

She is OK with others questioning her bold moves.  She is no longer basing her life on what others think. She operates with wisdom and clarity.

Kathy’s health scare spurred her midlife awakening. She began to take responsibility for her joy and claim the second half of her life with boldness.

It was not a tidy process. Kathy’s journey of finding her joy — like all of ours — is ongoing and both messy and miraculous. As women in midlife, we claim our joy by being tender, clear, bold, and true to the longings of our heart. And we decide to thrive.

*The author works as a personal life coach and has permission to share stories of her clients under confidentiality agreements. For this reason, Kathy's name has been changed to ensure her privacy.

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