The Age of Adaline

Saturday afternoon, after getting manicures, Marilyn and I went to see the movie The Age of Adaline and we both absolutely loved it!  Due to an accident involving frigid temperatures and a bolt of lightning, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) does not age past 29.  Because of her intense fear of being discovered, she changes her name, appearance, and residence every ten years.  The movie begins in the present day after Adaline has lived 107 years and, aside from a friend who is blind, her daughter Flemming (Ellen Burstyn), now a senior citizen, and a series of dogs who all eventually die, she has a very lonely existence.  She meets a handsome stranger named Ellis (Michiel Huisman) in an elevator at a New Year's Eve party and he begins to pursue her.  She once let her guard down and fell in love with a man during the 1960s but this relationship ended in heartbreak so she is wary of falling in love again.  Will Adaline finally stop running and find happiness?  I thought the exposition in this movie was incredibly clever.  Adaline works in the archives section of a library and the story of her life is told as she views old films ready to be digitized.  I also loved Adaline's wardrobe because everything she wears is absolutely timeless (all of her clothes are "vintage").  Lively and Huisman give great performances.  Huisman, especially, is quite endearing.  I'm not a big fan of beards, but wow!  Finally, I really loved that Adaline kept getting the same breed of dog year after year and that it just happened to be a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (my family has a Cavalier named Red and he's a pill).  I would highly recommend this sweet and original love story!

Note:  Marilyn and I enjoyed this movie so much, we saw it again later that evening with our niece, Tashena.  She loved it, too.