Still Doing It: The Intimate Lives of Women Over 65

This 2004 documentary has been rereleased on DVD to coincide with the publication of director Deirdre Fishel and producer Diana Holtzberg's 2008 book Still Doing It. The film profiles nine American women—married, divorced, widowed, disabled, and ranging in age from 67 to 87—who have active sex lives. Appealingly genuine and forthright, they talk about a wide variety of experiences, including having sexual desires (or not), their surprise at still being interested in sex, how their assumptions have changed, marrying later in life, having a much younger lover, finding sexual partners, stereotypes, coming out as a lesbian, sexuality and religious faith, body image, ageism, plastic surgery, orgasms, and masturbation. They also address the losses and deficits that come naturally with aging, including partners' deaths, lessening of physical attractiveness, and realizing one is approaching the end of life—but the overall tone is optimistic and light, and each of the women has found a new comfort level in her sexuality. Humorous vintage clips illustrate how older women have been portrayed as physically undesirable and socially conservative, and intermittent onscreen titles offer demographic information, predictions, opinions, and statistics. A chapter on the sexual revolution of the 1960s contains full frontal male and female nudity and briefly shows still photographs of sexual acts. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)