No laughing matter

Will Ferrell ducks out of the chance to play a dementia-riddled Ronald Reagan in a movie

Will Ferrell was lined up to play Ronald Reagan in a comedy that makes light of the former United States president’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. AP Photo / Warner Bros Entertainment Inc

Actor Will Ferrell, who was lined up to play Ronald Reagan in a comedy that makes light of the former United States president’s struggle with Alzheimer’s in his final years, has reportedly backed out of the project amid growing controversy and criticism.

The project’s very existence raises the question of why Hollywood seeks humour in someone else’s suffering.

Unfortunately, this is not the first movie of its kind. The industry has a terrible track record on its portrayal of old people and senility. One example is the 2011 film, Iron Lady, in which Meryl Streep portrays the former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher as a crazy and hallucinating granny. Other films such as Away from Her (2006) and Still Alice (2014) deal with Alzheimer’s with far more sensitivity and care.

What cinema ideally needs to do is provide honest and thought-provoking portrayals of old age. Unfortunately, this seems to be too big a challenge for some Hollywood producers.