Elvis was a double winner at AARP The Magazine’s 21st annual Movies for Grownups Awards, which were presented at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday (Jan. 28). The movie won best time capsule, while Baz Luhrmann won best director.
In presenting the award to Luhrmann, the film’s star Austin Butler said: “No matter what the subject is, his intent is to create art for audiences of all ages to enjoy together. The stories are specific, and his messages are universal.”
Elvis was nominated for eight Oscars last week, one of the heftiest tallies for a musical biopic in Oscar history. Luhrmann was nominated for best picture as a producer of the film; Butler is nominated for best actor.
Top Gun: Maverick won the AARP Award for best picture/best movie for grownups, the evening’s top honor. The award was presented by Glen Powell, a co-star in the film, and was accepted by Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the film alongside star Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie and David Ellison. Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture.
The AARP event was hosted by Alan Cumming, who performed a parody of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “My Favorite Things” tweaked to include his favorite “binge-worthy things.”
The show will be broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Jamie Lee Curtis received this year’s Career Achievement Award, which was presented by Brian Tyree Henry, an Oscar nominee for Causeway.
“At the end of the day, what I love most about grownups is that we are more alike than different,” Curtis said. “Grownups suit up and show up each day, regardless of the way our cards were dealt. 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 received her first Oscar nod last week for best supporting actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once. That film led the Oscar nominations with 11 nods. Its only win at the AARP awards was Michelle Yeoh’s win for best actress. (Yeoh is also nominated in that category at the Oscars.)
The only double winner on the TV side was FX’s The Old Man, which won best TV series and best actor (TV) for its star, Jeff Bridges. The show debuted on June 16, 2022, after the close of eligibility for last year’s Primetime Emmys, but is likely to be a player in this year’s nominations.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, who won a Primetime Emmy last year for her supporting role on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, won here for best actress (TV). Ralph thanked “AARP for shining a light on aging.”
For more than two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has advocated for the 50-plus audience, fought industry ageism, and encouraged films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers.
“We are delighted to celebrate and honor these talented filmmakers [who] 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!”
Here’s the complete list of winners at the 2023 Movies for Grownups Awards:
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