Washington, U.S.A. — In an exclusive interview with AARP The Magazine, Hollywood legends Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones discuss the often taboo subject of mid-life sexuality. It’s the theme or their new movie, the highly anticipated ‘ Hope Springs,’ which focuses on a couple embarking on an entertaining yet poignant adventure to regain their sexual passion. The indomitable icons speak about their upcoming project, finally learning to live for the moment and why “nobody can tell [them] anything.”

The following are excerpts from the upcoming AARP The Magazine cover story featuring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, available in homes today and online at www.aarp.org/magazine.

On being “bored” in a relationship:

Streep: “If you’re bored with somebody, it’s because you’re bored with yourself. If you have a problem with somebody, often it’s something in yourself.”

Jones: “I always told my children when they whined….Only the boring are bored.”

On finding passion at any age:

Streep: “I find the older I get, the more intense my appetite for living and for appreciating life gets…You realize you’ve got just seconds.”

Jones: “I don’t do anything that is not fun. I just don’t do it. I’m a hedonist.”

On making marriage work:

Streep: “You live through all sorts of stuff when you’re in a long marriage: real highs and lows, and things that strain—and solidify—your relationship.”

On their fellow sexegenarians:

Streep: “I don’t think it’s unusual for my friends and people my age [to feel the way I do]. I only see bored 20-year-olds. I don’t see any bored 60-year-olds.”

On what drew them to ‘Hope Springs’:

Streep: “I like things that seem like they have a problem…Built into it was something really funny but lodged in something very real.”

Jones: “At long last, I had a chance to work with Meryl, so there was no question in my mind that I wanted to do it.”

On their prolific careers:

Streep: “I think there’s not a sell-by date on actors…But you also understand what a crapshoot it is and how serendipity plays a huge part. It’s not a piece of cake by any means.”

Jones: “I’ve been lucky and happy. I’ve made some bad movies. And I really enjoyed it!”

On passing the acting torch to their children:

Streep: “I’m delighted that we can share some things and that I have some experience that can be of comfort to her.”

Jones: “It makes you feel good when your kids choose to do the thing that you do even as much as you come home and complain about it.”

On endlessly pursuing their passions:

Streep: “I like everything. There’s just not anything I don’t like to do. That’s the problem. It means I’m very distractible.”

Jones: “I like being a director, and I’m never going to stop being an actor.”

The complete interview can be found online now at www.aarp.org/magazine.

Image Courtesy of   cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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The rock-centric musical ‘Rock of Ages’ hit theaters June 15, 2012, and is unfortunately under-performed due to its competition with the kid-friendly ‘Madagascar 3’ and highly anticipated sci-fi thriller ‘Prometheus.’ However, box office aside, the movie itself is an average romp with great songs, solid performances, and an upbeat cast. ‘Rock of Ages’ is certainly enjoyable, but the lackluster story and scattered plot-lines may have also contributed to its low ticket sales this past week.

Spoiler alert!

‘Ages’ is actually a film adaptation of Chris D’Arienzo’s 2006 Broadway musical of the same name. It tells the story of rock legend Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise), lead singer of Arsenal, giving his farewell performance at the Bourbon Room, a bar owned by Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and his best friend Lonny Barnett (Russell Brand). Stacie has decided to go solo and so Arsenal’s last performance as a band will draw in hundreds of fans, which the Bourbon Room needs, as it has recently fallen on hard times.

Meanwhile, a perky young girl named Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) arrives in Los Angeles from Tulsa, Oklahoma with dreams of becoming a singer. Unfortunately, LA is not kind to her and she gets mugged, losing all of her albums. Drew Boley (Diego Boneta) tries to intervene but the thief gets away, prompting Drew to offer Sherrie a job at the Bourbon Room to help her get back on her feet. Dennis refuses at first, but ultimately hires her so they can prepare for Stacee’s arrival at the club later that week.

Mayor Mike Whitmore (Bryan Cranston) announces his campaign for the city with the help of his wife, Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta Jones), who is the real brains behind the politics. She wants to shut down the Bourbon Room due to the “immoral music” and wants to take Stacee Jaxx down as well, recruiting mothers and religious fanatics to back her up and protest his last performance.

Drew and Sherrie hit it off and start dating soon after she gets hired. Stacee arrives and turns everything upside down due to his monstrous ego and bizarre demands. A writer for the Rolling Stone named Constance Sack (Malin Akerman) stirs up trouble with her questions and manages to get through to Jaxx about his attitude problem and his slimy manager, Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti).

A couple of hours before Stacee performs, the start up band drops out and Sherrie convinces Dennis to let Drew and his band play. He reluctantly agrees and Drew’s band does well, prompting Paul to want to sign him as he is sick of Stacee’s attitude. However, Stacee bumps into Sherrie and Drew thinks they slept together, which makes him break up with her and sign with Paul. From there, everything takes a turn for the worse.

The selling point of ‘Rock of Ages’ is of course the musical performances, which are strong and varied. Special mention goes to the fact that all the actors actually do sing their parts themselves instead of being dubbed over by professional singers. The standout performances are Cruise, Zeta-Jones, and Mary J. Blige while the others fair relatively well. The selections of 80’s rock are all familiar tunes and create an air of familiarity for the audience as well as nostalgia.

Unfortunately, ‘Rock of Ages’ suffers from a dull story with too many characters that stretch the plot thin. The love story between Drew and Sherrie is clichéd and largely uninteresting as neither of them have distinct personalities. Furthermore, their relationship materialized in what seemed to be only a few days, so when they inevitably break up due to miscommunication, it does not stick with the audience.

Furthermore, since the two main leads were relatively boring, other actors did not get enough time to shine, particularly Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is a shame to see that she only received two musical numbers since her performance in ‘Chicago’ (2002) won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. It would have been smarter to play up her antagonistic relationship with Stacee Jaxx rather than inserting a bland character like Constance to be his love interest.

Another pointless subplot is the romance between Dennis and Lonny, which is played for laughs, but does not go anywhere. It only adds to the number of songs stuffed into the story and is neither funny nor plot relevant. It could have been left out entirely and would not have made a difference.

To that same end, Alec Baldwin is largely out of place in the role of Dennis. He seems asleep at the wheel and does not breathe much life into the character while everyone else around him gives solid performances.

To close out the pointless angle, while Mary J. Blige’s singing is phenomenal, the entire subplot with the strip club is not utilized properly. It sends a mixed message that gets clogged up among the other things going in the story at the same time. It seems to imply that becoming a stripper is hitting rock bottom, but then there is a musical number about implying how it can be empowering. This idea is then contradicted by Sherrie, who does not enjoy the job and considers moving back to Tulsa as a result. It would have been better to give the strip club a clearer role in the storyline rather than shoehorning it in for the sake of fan-service.

Still, ‘Rock of Ages’, while just an average musical, is energetic, colorful, and funny. It is a bit of harmless summer fun that is not necessarily a must see, but it would not hurt to give it a try.

Grade: 3/5

Image Courtesy of   Rock of Ages

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Emmy Award-winning TV, film and stage actor and arts advocate Alec Baldwin will deliver The Americans for the Arts 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy on April 16 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The lecture is presented by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, in partnership with Ovation, the only television network dedicated to all forms of artistic expression.

“Government support of the arts has been important to me for the past two decades, and Americans for the Arts has championed the cause for more than 50 years,” said Baldwin. “I am honored to deliver this year’s Nancy Hanks Lecture on behalf of Americans for the Arts and proud to stand alongside them as we work to underscore the positive economic and social impact the arts and arts education have on our country and our citizens.”

The Nancy Hanks Lecture is part of the annual Arts Advocacy Day events in Washington, D.C. on April 16and 17. Ovation CEO Charles Segars has been named Honorary Co-Chair of Arts Advocacy Day for the second consecutive year.

“The rapidly evolving global economy demands a dynamic and creative workforce. The arts and arts education help build the skill set to deliver such a workforce. It is imperative that we continue to support the arts and arts education both on the national and local levels and I’m honored to be working with AFTA to support that effort as co-chair of Arts Advocacy Day again this year,” said Segars.

“In these economic times, we have to make the case for the arts and be relentless about making that case. Alec Baldwin is a critical voice to deliver that message to a broad audience.” ”Alec Baldwin has been a stalwart supporter of our mission to ensure that ALL Americans have access to the arts and arts education,” said Robert L. Lynch president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.

“He understands the vital role the arts sector plays in building and sustaining our nation’s economy as well as the profound impact the arts have in creating and shaping America’s cultural identity. We are honored to have him deliver this year’s Nancy Hanks Lecture.” The Nancy Hanks Lecture is the leading national forum for arts policy, providing an opportunity for public discourse at the highest levels on the importance of arts and culture to our nation’s well-being.

The annual event is named for Nancy Hanks, former president of Americans for the Arts and chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who devoted 15 years of her professional life to bringing the arts to prominent national consciousness. Past lecturers include Robert Redford, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Wynton Marsalis,Kevin Spacey, Ken Burns, William Safire and Robert MacNeil.

Baldwin’s career has spanned more than three decades. He has appeared in more than 40 films, including “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Departed” and “Glengarry Glen Ross.” His work also includes stage and television roles, most notably his current role as Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock,” for which he has won two Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and five Screen Actors Guild Awards and his record-breaking 15 times hosting “Saturday Night Live.”

As a stalwart advocate for public policy and the arts, Baldwin currently serves on Americans for the Arts’ Artist Committee. He has also provided testimony before Congress on the essential role public funds play in promoting and sustaining the arts industry. Americans for the Arts extends special thanks to Ovation for its partnership in presenting the 25th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

Jannis Tobias Werner / Shutterstock.com

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Greyhound issued an open letter to Alec Baldwin in response to comments made by the actor on Dec. 7 regarding Greyhound. Following is the response from Greyhound President and CEO Dave Leach:

“Dear Mr. Baldwin, as president and CEO of Greyhound, I was disheartened to hear about the comments you made regarding our company. Now I’m the first to admit that Greyhound has had some challenges with brand perception, so I understand that you probably were basing your comments on that alone.

But we’ve made so many changes in recent years to significantly improve the travel experience. My guess is you’ve never traveled with us, but I ask you to give us a try for a number of reasons and see for yourself that we’re really a great way to travel.

“First of all, we have hundreds of new buses in our fleet where we’ve added more legroom, leather seats, power outlets and free Wi-Fi. I think you especially would find the latter two amenities exciting, because we don’t require our customers to turn off their electronic devices…ever.

You could therefore play Words With Friends during your entire trip and nobody would give you any grief over it. As a matter of fact, we have a Facebook page, so if you wanted to start a Words With Friends game with us, just Like us and we’d be more than happy to take on the challenge.

“As the industry leader, Greyhound is committed to providing a new class of service to our customers. After all, we carry more than 17 million customers every year. We’ve been training all of our employees to provide stellar customer service, we’re moving into brand new, modern facilities and fixing up the ones we currently reside in, and we’re putting more focus on getting customers to their destinations much faster.

I think you’d like our premium Greyhound Express service, which provides customers a guaranteed seat on our new buses, with direct trips between major city pairs in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. I invite you to meet with me in New York and we’ll take a trip to Boston so you can see first-hand what a great ride Greyhound can be.

“Should you still decide not to try us, even after I’ve shared with you all of the exciting changes we’ve made here at Greyhound, all I ask from you is a simple apology. We are not the same company we used to be. We are better, providing a safe, affordable and modern travel alternative to other forms of transportation.

Greyhound is an American icon, a proud company that many people depend on to get them to their destinations, the same people who watch your films and TV show. Mr. Baldwin, please reconsider your position and come see how great a company Greyhound has become.”

RoidRanger / Shutterstock.com

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Tuesday afternoon, the 30 Rock ‘alpha male’ Alec Baldwin had Doug Liman, director of  The Bourne Identity and Mr. And Mrs. Smith, pinned down in a tongue-in-cheek discussion about the filmmaker’s career. Doug Liman barged into Hollywood as the independent director of Swingers and has since worked his way into blockbuster nirvana – a path which the discussion revealed was not always straight.

Joining Liman on stage was Alec Baldwin, casually dressed (sporting a mature 5 o’clock shadow) and firing off the talk with charismatic sarcasm – one that entertained the audience with several self-inflicted zingers throughout the session. His first question to the filmmaker was what made him want to become a director.

Liman took us back to when he, as a child, picked up an unwanted present to his father, a camera, and started shooting – his first movie was named ‘The Mummy’ and starred his dad. When asked by Baldwin if his choice of career had been purely out of convenience, Liman admitted a profound love for film and seemed to share an interest that moved beyond the traditional rites of moviemaking. As much as he enjoyed the process and challenges of cinema, however, he has never been in one of his own films and at this point, he admitted being a little superstitious as to whether he ever should.

Baldwin made sure to keep the talk ‘interesting’, grilling Liman on such subject as filming sex scenes. The director admitted to one movie with sex in, to try it out and Baldwin cheekily asked for its name and if it was available online – to the amusement of the audience. However, Liman revealed that the experience had been overall uncomfortable – made him feel like a pervert.

We learned that Liman’s directional debut prompted his departure from USC; a school he told the audience he hated because of its rigidness. After trying to follow the rules, the director realized that working within them was against his nature. When he started developing Swingers, the budget was set at $500.000 – but he could only raise $200.000. He explained the defining moment; where other productions would go into stalemate, he came to the conclusion that if you don’t have enough money to do it properly, you shouldn’t even pretend to do it that way. Instead, you should take the fact that you don’t have enough money and turn it to your advantage.

This became Liman’s style – not too concerned with the restrictions of moviemaking, the director has repeatedly filmed without permits and gone against studio orders. He contributed the rough style of The Bourne Identity to the fact that he had to sneak around the streets of Paris with his camera to avoid being caught.

Baldwin then asked about the post-Swingers experience. Liman explained that Swingers made him the ‘flavor of the month’. When asked back then what he wanted to do next, he already knew: Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. But the studio disagreed, so Liman explained spending a lot of time chasing the movie rights. Some of his unorthodox methods of persuasion included crashing a wedding and eventually, flying solo to Ludlum’s private home to secure the rights. Ludlum nicknamed him ‘Hollywood’ and agreed.

The final subject was Fair Game and Liman’s observation that the US is very good at forgetting things. With a father who was the chief counsel for the US Senate Iran-Contra hearings, Liman wanted to prove that it’s possible to get people to care about politics – even when they don’t want to.

Baldwin was snappy throughout the talks, adding his personal experiences more or less discriminately. There were moments where the brash Baldwin seemed unable to contain himself and unintentionally mowed over the soft voice of Liman. In such instances, Liman patiently waited with a shy calm that made a great contrast to the loud and unapologetic Baldwin. The contradiction was most blatant when Baldwin repeatedly used the f-word, leaving Liman momentarily lost for any.

The bonus was some insightful facts about Hollywood; For example, that Warner Brothers don’t make dramas. It proves a connection between the fondness of drama in independent cinema and the fact that big budgets can buy emotions with extravagant set pieces and special effects. That Doug Liman’s mind seems to move at a different plane than others goes to show, as so vigorously emphasized by the verbose Mr. Baldwin, that the director is in a league of his own.

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