80 for Brady, or the guilt I feel for wasting my time

Door ajar, you’re alone in the room, TV on, remote in hand, thumb on the button, ready to change channels in less than a second if someone comes in. The door opens, someone walks in, you press the button and, just like that, you’re watching cartoons. No one suspects a thing.

We’ve all been there, the shame and secrecy of watching something we consider somehow inferior. We might be older now, sure that no one will walk in on us, but we remember the feeling.

Even hardcore cinephiles, who by definition should love cinema, face this shame from time to time. Take me, for example. I’m a film snob, ready to judge you based on your Letterboxd recommendations. Over the years, I’ve deluded myself into thinking I possess some superior taste in films. But, at the same time, and without ever admitting it to someone else, I’ve grown to love movies like 80 for Brady (2023), Queen Bees (2017), and Book Club (2018). I’m a sucker for an aging group of gal pals taking on one last big adventure.

This subgenre tends to be a mix of road movies and coming-of-age films. A group of close friends face different struggles of aging, and, by the end, they come to accept their new place in life. They might be old, yes, but there’s still plenty to live for. It’s a bit different for each character and movie, but those are the broad strokes.

It’s subjective, but I think 80 for Brady is the best of the bunch. It’s based on the real-life story of four best friends who are seemingly obsessed with Tom Brady. In the film, a quartet of octogenarians travels to Super Bowl LI to watch the star quarterback. Of course, the trip itself is just an excuse for each friend to face their struggles with aging.

The emotional center of the movie is Lou, Lily Tomlin’s character. She’s scared that her cancer might be back after 15 years, so she lies to her friends and tells them she won four tickets to the Super Bowl. In reality, she bought them because she was afraid this might be their last adventure together.

Of course, the other ladies face other issues related to aging. Jane Fonda’s Trish has lived her life without settling down for a serious relationship, and she might be falling in love now; Sally Fields struggles with finding herself in a relationship that has lasted decades, in which her personality has been diluted; finally, Rita Moreno still mourns her dead husband, which prevents her from living her life. You probably get it by now. They’ll each get a moment when they’ll realize life hasn’t stopped being worth living, which in turn will lead them to solve or at least face their problems.

Another thing with these films is that they tend to blend together in your mind. After watching Book Club, 80 for Brady, and the second Book Club, it’s hard to tell exactly which plot belongs in which movie (it doesn’t help that Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin love doing these movies). It’s all a blur of older ladies swapping jokes about being old and having sex (or not).

It’s not particularly deep or complex, but it’s cozy and inviting. In a way, these films feel like watching an old rerun of a sitcom you love; they’re comfort movies: some laughs, nothing too shocking, a lesson learned, and the feeling of being surrounded by characters you’ve known for years. Even better, they’re full of amazing actors: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Ellen Burstyn. Big name after big name cracking jokes all the time. They’re manufactured to give you that familiar, nostalgic feeling even on a first viewing.

But what’s so embarrassing about that? It’s just a low-stakes movie, something to watch when you don’t want to think or feel too much. But that’s i, these movies make you feel safe and cozy while they “waste your time,” while, ironically, they hit you over the head with the idea of “your time is running out, better live life now.”

In a way, Jane Fonda being brave enough to pursue love at 80 triggers my neurosis of wasting my time. These films have bested me. I will willingly watch 80 for Brady, and then chastise myself for not watching the latest indie documentary film buzzing with awards and honors.

And when you combine the neurosis with the delusion of a higher taste in movies, it’s hard to admit to others that you spent your weekend binge-watching forgettable films about old ladies forging amazing and beautiful friendships.

Maybe I’m too old to change, but then again, if I’ve learned just one thing from these films, it’s that life is too short to hold on to fear and shame. I love some aging gal pals chasing adventure, and I’m not going to hide it anymore.