Sociology

Human life is a long and strenuous process of evolution. This evolution can in other words also be termed as aging. Aging is not only a biological process but a social process which has its implications on how a person is viewed in the society by the people as well as how they are treated by the social structure. To commence the debate on ageing, first of all one needs to be aware of the different stages of human life i) Infancy ii) Toddler, iii) Childhood, iv) Adolescence, v) Young Adult., vi) Prime Adulthood, vii) Middle Age, viii) Old Age (Kunkel,2006)

The sociology of aging implies the understanding of ageing from the sociological perspective, whereby the issue of aging is judged against the sociological theories. (Kunkel  Morgan, pp 335) Sociology of Aging looks in to the matter of looking at how the media creates stereotypes of the aged and how the old portion of the population is considered to be rigid and firm in their beliefs. It aims to unearth the reality behind what the actual structure and position of the aged in the society (kunkel  Morgan, pp 335). There have been various television shows, dramas, cartoons as well as movies that have aimed to emphasize the growth and the mood of the sixty-five or old age group people. Included in these movies is the famous hit romance comedy flick of 1993, The Three Grumpy men.

The movie is starring the infamous couple of the movie Odd couple, Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau who play the role of two elderly neighbors with Ann Margaret starring as the conflicting character in the movie. (IMDB, 2009)The plot of the story revolves around how the friendship of these two old adults is a product of constant bickering and mutual aggravation. The movie shows that even after living as next door neighbors of each other in the dull town of Minnesota, both Lemmon and Matthau have an integrated sense of competition infused in them. This competitiveness is put to test with the arrival of Ann Margaret who moves in to the town and the entire story intrinsically revolves around the by-product of what this ravishing lady does with the two childhood friends.
The novel offers deep insight to the issue of ageing as discussed above in the sociology of ageing. It outlines how the competitiveness, the anger as well as the aggravation like a child of these two old men influences their behavior as well as their personality all through the movie. Before divulging the plot of the story and how that contributes to the issue of ageing, the paper will first and foremost outline the cast that makes up the characters featured in this movie (IMDB, 2009)

Jack Lemmon as John Gustafson  (IMDB, 2009)
Walter Matthau as Max Goldman  (IMDB, 2009)
Ann-Margret as Ariel Truax  (IMDB, 2009)
Burgess Meredith as Grandpa Gustafson (J.W.) (IMDB, 2009)
Daryl Hannah as Melanie Gustafson (IMDB, 2009)
Kevin Pollak as Jacob Goldman  (IMDB, 2009)
Ossie Davis as Chuck (Bait Shop Owner) (IMDB, 2009)
Buck Henry as Elliott Snyder (IRS Agent) (IMDB, 2009)
Christopher McDonald as Mike (IMDB, 2009)
Steve Cochran as Weatherman (IMDB, 2009)
Joe Howard as Pharmacist (IMDB, 2009)
John Carroll Lynch as Moving Man (IMDB, 2009)

The movie outlines the conflicts between Max and John. Apart from the competitiveness which is caused by the arrival of Ariel, Max and John had great rivalry over the issue of fishing, as Max being able to catch a surplus amount of fish while John not being able to exceed two or three. These two grumpy old men also played tricks on each other which included tossing a deceased fish in to Maxs truck or switching the television via Johns window. The impact that these conflicts give rise to the issue of aging that states that as a man gets old he becomes more and closer to acting like a child. This is due to the fact that old people lack the chances of enjoyment that are enjoyed by the young generation. They rely on pensions and are not expected to work at an office as they have exceeded the age specifications for the job. As shown in the motion picture as well, almost all of the arguments of John and Max lead to continuous bickering.

Bickering points to the fact that these two young men try to enforce their superiority over one another. As they lack any other platform whereby they can showcase their authority and power, they find solace in enforcing their power and superiority through such outlets, particularly degrading conversations. (Taylor  Anderson, 363)

Another underlying theme of aging that is present in the movie is that, who is the best man out of the two. This is substantiated by the treatment Max and John give to Ariel, the new lady in the neighborhood. It is for her affection that the two old men are at loggerheads with each other again to the extent that they are ready to actually cause physical harm to the others property and self. Over here a bit of gender bias is also shown as Ariel is shown as initially having feelings for John alone but using Max as a tool to cause further disturbances between the two grumpy men.

Another sociological issue of aging that is discussed in the movie is that of the helping hand or the shoulder in times of need. As exemplified by Maxs treatment of John when he has a heart attack by paying off his debts to IRS and also by giving him Ariel back, we see how in times of distress and turmoil the old stick up for each other putting aside all their differences. Even those that include proving to be the best man out of the group and trying to enforce their authority all such differences are put aside and the strong bond of fraternity is refreshed and reawaken.

The humor as well as the drama in this movie has made it an all time hit of the twentieth century. Apart from serving the purpose of a romantic comedy, the movie is also an all time hit in terms of movies discussing aging issues. The movie has outlined major issues of growing old and its sociology in a light-hearted and comic manner that not only keeps the audience engaged but also lets the message reach the masses. Furthermore, the movie discovers the issues related to aging in a fashion that keeps the viewer involved as the plot is closer to reality and believable. It is a movie many people can relate to while at the same time having a hearty laugh over.

Therefore, needless to say The grumpy old men is a classic case of delineating the character of two old men who are restless of the society around them and want to make a place of their own in their little world. It is a movie that has touched up on even the more serious issues such as that of alienation from the society and the materialism that does not actually bedazzle the old age people and how they deal with this. It shows how conflicts in essence are also to be put aside in times of great trouble, a message that relates not only to the issue of aging of the old age but also aging amongst the youth. The movie covers in detail many important aspects of the sociology of aging.