The mystery that is Adaline (2015)

Adaline is a character in a 2015 romantic fantasy who does not age. At the present time in the film, she is 107 years old or close to that number but is still at 38 years. She never grew older or younger than that age, she remains that age after a certain incident.

The film has its own explanations for this no aging phenomenon but what strikes a chord is the irony of it all. Look around and most people hold on to youth for possibly many different reasons, sometimes lying about their age, trying out various methods to slow down the process of growing old, at least visibly, looking young and youthful! The idea of age as a concept plays out in many conversations, it could be a senior-junior relationship at work, a younger-older familial, social relations, during a marriage alliance! Age becomes a factor when sickness hampers bodily routines! It is referred to when it comes to the colour of the hair, a government appointment for a job, or to make a point, take it thru..

And here is a woman who is granted that wish of being forever a 38 years old young, a wish for an infinite future at 38 as long as she lives.. a future of youthfulness.. yet she is unable to remain happy.. she feels she cannot hold on to a relationship of any kind for longer than a particular period of time… She also fears she’ll become a curiosity specimen for global scientific experiments.

If you ask me whether I loved the film, well I can’t answer that with any kind of certainty, but it has certainly carved out an imprint in my mind about the fantasy and irony of age.. living.. happiness.. and its worth! I was glued to it… Something and all has been triggered somewhere, the thoughts I have not been able to write out as succinctly as I would have liked to.

What it is to grow up together with a set of people, starting with parents, siblings, classmates, spouses, children, colleagues and friends.. and generally people around us.. may be something many of us do not give a thought to.. what it is to lose somebody we know on the way..what is it to feel secure and happy in our the age we are at!