OK, I’ll admit that I’m doing this for purely selfish reasons. I need someone, anyone, to talk to about the amazing show that is Netflix’s Grace and Frankie.
I’ve tried converting my friends and family, and so far the only person that seems interested is my mum. Not enough people my age are watching this show, and that needs to change.
Grace and Frankie was co-created by Marta Kauffman, whose name you might recognise as one of the co-creators of a little-known show called Friends. It also stars one of the best leading-lady duos of all time: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
Fonda and Tomlin have been friends for over 40 years since working together on 9 To 5 with Dolly Parton, and you can tell when you see their onscreen chemistry. It’s one of the main reasons you should watch the show – these women are hilarious together.
Kauffman told The Hollywood Reporter back in 2015 she was looking for “a way to explore aging and coming into your own at a certain point in your life” and man, has she succeeded.
When we meet Grace and Frankie, their lives have been turned upside down as their husbands of over 40 years Robert (Martin Sheen) and Sol (Sam Waterston) reveal they’ve been in love for the last 20 years and want to get married.
This leads to one of the greatest friendships of our time – and very good television.
I think one of the reasons people seem hesitant to watch the show is simply because they think they can’t relate to the older characters, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
It turns out dating, no matter your age, is difficult.
Also, how often do we see Hollywood creating roles for women older than 50? We should be celebrating the fact this show was made and is being done so well! These women are comedic powerhouses and they give great hope for what life can be like in your 70s, even when your world has seemingly been torn apart.
The fact the show is on Netflix also means topics that would normally be considered taboo can be covered – oh, and it also means there’s a lot of swearing.
We even see whole episodes dedicated to sexual health issues facing elderly women with Grace and Frankie creating their own lube and a vibrator for older women!
I found my show! #GraceandFrankie ? on a bender! Jane & Lily are so bad a$$!
— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) May 25, 2015
This show is not only amazing in the way it shows the lives of older women (and for making getting older seem fun), but also for showing the way two older gay men navigate life after finally coming out in their 70s. We see the way these two men love each other (as well as their ex-wives) and it’s beautiful.
While these four characters should be enough to entice you to watch, their four adult children make for perfect supporting characters.
My personal favourite is Grace’s daughter Brianna (June Diane Raphael), an icy businesswoman whose comedic timing and cutting one-liners could almost be reason enough to watch the show.
Another reason?
The many life lessons you’ll learn, including, but not limited to: you can restart your life at any age; getting older is actually pretty fun; you can meet the love of your life/best friend in your 70s; you can start a business at whatever age you want; and most importantly life is definitely not over when you’re in your 70s and 80s.
I'm consistently surprised at how #graceandfrankie makes me sob over stuff I don't even understand like getting older, dealing with grown kids, dating in your 70s. Such an impressive, quirky show that brings us all into their world.
— Juliana Stewart (@JuMariedgeStew) February 25, 2019