By Lee Pfeiffer
The film industry is finally catching on that middle aged and older people still like to go to movies - and they don't necessarily want to see mindless action films filled with space aliens getting blasted by hi tech weaponry. Like most audiences, older people want to see stories they can relate to. One of the biggest obstacles in providing that type of entertainment has been Hollywood's legendary refusal to acknowledge that mature actresses can be sexy as well as commercially appealing.That prejudice is quickly being eradicated, thanks in no small part to the enormous success of Mama Mia! Suddenly, actresses like Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep are all the rage - and they are not being cast as dowdy grandmother types, but as vibrant, highly sexual women. The major studios are slow to pick up on what has been a trend for years in the porn industry, which helped coin the term MILF (look it up on Google, if you are unaware) to make millions from producing DVDs with older women. TV followed suit with plenty of shows geared toward older female audiences, ranging from reality programs to dramas such as Cougar Town. It looks like the all of those endless Viagara commercials have finally resonated with studio types who have woken up to the fact that there is life - and sex appeal- after the age of 30. For more analysis click here to read The Guardian's take on the trend.