LOS ANGELES, CA — The 15th Annual Movies for Grownups^® Awards were held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, celebrating 2015’s standout filmmakers, actors, actresses and movies with unique relevance for the 50-plus audience.  Sponsored by AARP Credit Cards from Chase, proceeds from this year’s Movies for Grownups® event will support AARP Foundation’s work in the Los Angeles area to create and advance effective solutions to help struggling people 50 and older secure the essentials.

“We acknowledge tonight’s distinguished awardees for their dedication to creating and sharing stories that resonate with and are relevant to people 50 and over,” said Myrna Blyth, AARP Senior Vice President and Editorial Director. “We also applaud the contributions made by those in the film industry who are helping to disrupt aging by exploring and challenging the conventional thinking on what it means to grow older.”

Highlights from the evening included a touching tribute to Career Achievement honoree Michael Douglas, whose award was presented by Bette Midler.  His wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, joined Douglas for the event.  Jane Fonda presented the Best Actress statue to her Grace and Frankie co-star Lily Tomlin forGrandma, and Lou Gossett Jr. presented Morgan Freeman with the Best Grownup Love Story honor for his role in 5 Flights Up. 

Actress Laura Dern was a surprise presenter for her mother Diane Ladd to whom she gave both a moving tribute and the Best Supporting Actress award for Joy. Michael Peña presented Ridley Scott with his Best Director and Reader’s Choice awards for The Martian and legendary performer Dick Van Dyke delighted the crowd as he handed Bryan Cranston the Best Actor trophy for Trumbo. 

In other award highlights: Host Kathy Griffin kept the energy high with self-deprecating jokes and singer Thelma Houston performed “Don’t Leave Me this Way” from The Martian, complete with disco balls turning the awards ballroom into a nightclub.

Other distinguished guests included Mark Ruffalo, Tom McCarthy, Ryan Coogler, Phylicia Rashad, Carl Weathers, David O. Russell, Joy Mangano, Nancy Meyers, Adam Devine, Patricia Clarkson, Elizabeth Banks, Sherry Lansing, Pete Docter, Jonas Rivera, Robert Forster, June Squibb, Paula Poundstone, Rita Moreno, Ed Asner, Rob Friedman, Wendie Malick, Bruce Boxleitner, Susan Blakely, John Savage, and Dee Wallace. Committee members Ken Scherer, Sid Ganis, Ed Begley, Jr., Doug Collins and Joe Lumarda also attended.

For a full report on the Movies for Grownups evening see www.aarp.org/moviesforgrownups.

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About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50-plus by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income, and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is a charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.

About AARP The Magazine’s Movies For Grownups^® Awards

The annual Movies for Grownups^® Awards raises funds for AARP Foundation, AARP’s affiliated charity, which works in communities nationwide to address the needs of older Americans by investing in innovative solutions that tackle the causes of the challenges they face: the need for functional and affordable housing, adequate and nutritious food, steady income, and strong and sustaining social bonds. Chase Card Services will be the Premier sponsor of the event.   

The Movies For Grownups^® multimedia franchise includes talent interviews, weekly online reviews and previews, film festivals, free movie screenings and year-round coverage in print and online. For more information about Movies for Grownups^® visit www.aarp.org/moviesforgrownups. Twitter:twitter.com/Movies4Grownups

About AARP The Magazine

With nearly 36 million readers, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through health and fitness features, financial guidance, consumer interest information and tips, celebrity interviews, and book and movie reviews. AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is published bimonthly in print and continually online. Learn more at www.aarp.org/magazine/. Twitter: twitter.com/AARP

About Chase

Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.4 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America’s households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,400 branches, 17,000 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to www.chase.com/

CONTACTS:
Eileen Thompson-Ray, Rogers & Cowan, 310-854-8137, eray@rogersandcowan.com
Paola Torres, AARP, 202-434-2560, media@aarp.org, @AARPMedia