The 24 Marathon

I've always had a lot of fun with the fact that over the years, I become the same age that various actors were in classic movies. In 2019, I was the same age as Lauren Bacall when she made To Have and Have Not. In 2021, I was the same age as Charmian Carr when she filmed The Sound of Music. As the years pass, I reach several of these “milestones,” and every year, I often worry that I didn’t appreciate the previous one enough.

So before I turn 25, I've decided to take matters into my own hands and have The 24 Marathon. I want to know that I did everything I could to fully Appreciate it. So I spent last Saturday watching three movies in which the main actors are 24 years old.

We’re going to do this a little differently this week: I recorded my thoughts during each movie, and I’m going to give you access to my unpolished (at least, more unpolished than usual) ramblings. (Warning: Lots of squeeing ahead. Reader discretion advised.)

Michael J. Fox

Back to the Future

Oh my gosh, we are the SAME AGE. WE ARE THE SAME AGE. When I first became a Back to the Future fan, he was ten years older than me. And now we’re the SAME AGE. I’m focusing on his face more than usual this time because I’m trying to fully register that this is what Michael J. Fox looked like when he was the same age as me. A benefit to this is that I’m catching more of his expressions during certain scenes. As many times as I’ve seen this movie, there are certain times when he smiles or makes a certain face that I didn’t notice before. I love it. He’s such a dear. Did I mention that we are the same age?

The interesting thing about being the same age as that actor is that you can picture where you are in life right now, and then imagine what the actor might have been going through. It adds some perspective. For instance, Michael was working an insane schedule; filming Family Ties during the day and Back to the Future at night. I can’t imagine doing that right now!

I wonder if Marty Mcfly will seem really young to me 50 years from now, when I’m on my 2-millionth rewatch of this. Even this time, when I choose view the character from this perspective, he seems different. When I first fell in love with Marty, he was the Older Man. Exciting! But from this point on, I’ll be older than he is. I’ll never quite relate to him the way I have in the past, or the way I do now. 

I’m thinking about this a lot as the movie progresses—probably even overthinking it. But when I zoom back out and watch the movie the way I usually do, I see him (and the movie) the way I always have. It's a great reminder that movies don’t change. Only we do. That’s the beautiful thing: They’re like time machines that take us forward or back when we choose to let them, but we can always return to the present. Just remember to bring enough plutonium for the trip home.

James Dean

East of Eden

This one is bittersweet. James and I share a birthday, and now I’m the same age as he was when he passed away. September 30 was the 69th anniversary of his passing. That thought has stayed in the back of my mind for most of my life, and I had been mentally holding my breath until that day, wondering if I’d make it over the threshold.

It should be noted that James was actually 23 at the time of filming. I did watch part of Giant, in which he was 24, but I wasn't able to squeeze in the full 3 hour and 20 minute long movie! I'm still including East of Eden because it's astonishing to realize that his life would end just a year and a half after it was released. Just like with Michael J. Fox, it lends some perspective.

Before tonight, the only James Dean movie I’d seen was Rebel Without a Cause. I couldn’t even fully appreciate it, because I watched it in a health class in high school, and my teacher paused it about every 30 seconds to point out the impacts of alcoholism and the dangers of juvenile delinquency. But now I’m finally able to watch one of his movies properly, without interruptions.

It’s probably impossible for me to say anything original about James, so I’ll just make a few comments here. I'm struck by how one second, he seems like a man beyond his years, and the next second he’s like a child. It's as though he knows where he needs to go, but he’s just gotten lost on the way. It's captivating.

James Garner wrote in his book that the best actors are the ones who make you forget they’re acting. That’s true of James Dean’s performance in East of Eden: As I write this, I find myself referring to James Dean instead of the character he plays.

Dean had so much talent, so much to offer the world. It’s tragic that we lost him so early in his life, but thank goodness we have this beautiful performance.

Cary Elwes

The Princess Bride

I’ll be honest: As soon as the movie started, I completely forgot I was supposed to be paying attention to Cary Elwes’ age. I was just immediately drawn in, right from the opening scene. I keep having to remind myself what the assignment is.

Even though Cary was the same age as me when filming began, he somehow appears older, more mature, than he did the last 50 million times I saw this. Let’s be real—No matter how many years go by, Westley will always be more gorgeous than I could ever hope to be. It’s ridiculous and completely unfair.

Wow, is it over already? This movie always goes by so fast. I never want it to end.

Cary did turn 25 while on the set, so I still technically have another year of us being the same age. Thank goodness, because it still hasn’t quite registered.

The End—Some Final Reflections

Well, that was fun! I still wonder if I really let myself appreciate the "24-ness" enough, but at least now I know I did what I could. Knowing the actors were the same age as I am when they made these movies gives me new appreciation for their work. And admittedly, it makes me feel a little inadequate: At 24, these actors were creating iconic roles and cementing legacies that have lasted for decades. What I been doing with my life? Sometimes I just want to get a move on!

I know, though, that time does march on, and (spoiler alert), I won’t be 24 forever. I also know—strange as it may seem—that I’ll miss these days. But that’s what movies are for. They’re like time capsules. One day, many years from now, I’ll watch these again and remember what it was like to be 24. As Liza Minelli said in That’s Entertainment, “thank God for film. It can capture a performance and hold it right there, forever.” Cinema doesn’t just preserve someone’s performance or age—the viewers' memories are secured in those films, too.