Introduction

Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out is lauded for its ability to combine crucial human themes with the thriller genre. Conversations about the film are, rightfully, dominated by discussion of the way modern race relations guide the characters' motivations. Nonetheless, simply focusing on race may lead to viewers missing the film's message on aging and adulthood. To truly understand what the film is saying about age, it is important to discuss the actions and opinions of several of the characters.

To accurately discuss the themes of the film it is important to understand the progression of the plot. Chris Washington and Rose Armitage are a young, interracial couple in the U.S. Chris, an African-American male, is apprehensive about the couple’s upcoming trip to meet the whole Armitage family. His concerns are quickly confirmed as he unravels the family’s sinister side business. The Armitage family, by way of a keen understanding of neuroscience and human psychology, allow people to curb death by transferring their consciousness into the fit bodies of young Black people. The audience is first introduced to this concept through the characters Georgina and Walter.

Functional Age and the Vessels of Youth 

On the surface, Georgina and Walter are the Armitage estate’s housekeeper and groundskeeper respectively. Eventually the audience learns the grim truth that the two are simply vessels for the consciousness of Rose’s grandmother and grandfather. These characters allude to the idea that the individuals investing in this sick procedure value the concept of functional age. Aging in the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology defines functional age as being, “... based on how people look and what they can do” (6).

Georgina seems to operate as a stand-in for the former and Walter is the embodiment of the latter. As the housekeeper, Georgina is the face of the house. She is responsible for maintaining the house by cleaning. She also tends to the guests in an attempt to preserve the estate’s rich and formal aesthetic. Georgina also seems to be obsessed with the physical appearance of her new body. Chris and the audience catch her ominously gazing out the window. In actuality, she is fascinated by her reflection in the glass. Chris also catches her spending time adjusting her hair and staring longingly in the mirror. Betty Gabriel’s stellar performance as Georgina combined with Peele’s direction tells a depressing story without using any words at all. The grandmother grew old in a world where feminine beauty is valued above all else. Instead of learning to appreciate the beauty and grace associated with aging, the grandmother regained traditional beauty in a truly barbaric way.

The character of Walter chronicles a similar tale from the other side of the coin. Early in the film, Peele hints at the origins of the grandfather. Rose’s father, Dean Armitage, gives Chris a tour of the family home. One picture on the wall shows Dean’s father competing in the 1936 Olympic Games. Dean recounts the tale of Jesse Owens famously winning several gold medals in the capital of Adolf Hitler’s regime. Grandpa Armitage competed in the same event which primed him and his family for a lifetime of fascination with the “physical capabilities” of Black males.

This concept appears when Rose and her family insist that Chris abandons his smoking habits. Rose’s brother, Jeremy, also attempts to persuade Chris to pursue UFC because he is at the prime age to embrace his physicality. Chris even notices that this is a common theme when sifting through Rose’s collection of former targets. Each picture, aside from Georgina’s, shows a young, fit male. The value of physical functionality manifests in Walter’s character. Walter is essentially always performing a physically demanding task when on camera. He tends to the yard in the glaring sun of Upstate New York. Chris also catches him chopping wood and going for a run at the dead of night. Grandpa Armitage is almost giddy at the athletic potential of his new host. The grandfather’s prowess as a track and field athlete was showcased to the entire world at the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, the natural senescence of the human body slowly took that gift away from him. Rather than finding a new passion to fill that void, he decided to steal it back from someone else.

Societal Bias and Role Theory

Peele’s script and direction adeptly highlight the ageism ingrained in American society that influences the self-worth of the older population. Peele even has a brief cameo in the film that emphasizes this concept. The audience finds Lil Rel Howery’s character Rod watching television as he anxiously awaits word from Chris to confirm he is safe. Peele projects a single line from the television, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” This statement coupled with the commercial that follows, which comments on the effects of aging, shows that the media we consume influences our opinion of aging. The insinuation that growing old and dying culminates in the “waste” of our mind is depressing. Unfortunately, it is the exact same message that is presented by commercials selling health products that claim to slow the natural aging process. The success of these products, and the success of the procedure presented in the film, display the relevance of these biases. This all contributes to the film's incredibly prescient commentary on the stigma of aging in society.

I think the themes of age expressed in this movie are best viewed through the lens of Role Theory. This theory essentially concluded that an individual's ability to adjust to age revolves around how they cope with gaining and losing roles. A role is a position within a system that has specific jobs and expectations. A parent is expected to teach and provide for the family. A student is tasked with studying and completing assignments that will prepare them for their future career.

Georgina and Walter are perfect examples of individuals who are struggling with the aging process because of their inability to adjust to role changes. Walter steals the youth from an innocent man because of his desire to regain his athleticism. Georgina does the same so she can return to her glory days as the beautiful figurehead of the home. Another clear example of this motif is Jim Hudson, the blind art dealer, brilliantly portrayed by Stephen Root. In his early years, Hudson aspired to be an influential photographer. Unfortunately, after continuously being turned down by National Geographic he realized he “didn’t have the eye.” He opted to deal art instead but that didn’t last either. He lost his sight and in desperation was driven to the gruesome dealings of the Armitage. Hudson eventually ended up winning the bid on Chris’ body. There was no price steep enough, financially or morally, to stop him from stabilizing his role in society.

Get Out is essentially a story of an elderly elite class of Americans abusing young Black people in order to fight off the inevitable. The Armitages, twisted by a horrible stigma towards old age, were desperate to monetize youth. They took many lives in a pointless pursuit to evade the unavoidable truth that is the misunderstood grace of growing old.

Works Cited

Quadagno, Jill. Aging in the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology. 6th ed., McGraw-Hill Education, 2013.

Get Out. Directed by Jordan Peele, Universal Pictures, 2017.