Old movies connect viewers to the past

"I want to be alone."

"We'll always have Paris."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Recognize these quotes? Many of us do - despite its being 76 years since Greta Garbo delivered her unforgettable line in the film "Grand Hotel," 66 years since star-crossed lovers Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman parted ways in "Casablanca" and 69 years since Clark Gable rebuffed Vivien Leigh in "Gone With the Wind."

The iconic statements, all from Oscar-winning movies, are permanent fixtures of pop culture. For moviegoers old enough to remember these Hollywood legends and the golden years of the silver screen, memorable dialogue - and classic films - are also a connection to the past, says film historian Jeanine Basinger, chairwoman of the Film Studies Program at Wesleyan University.

"Watching old movies is like unpacking the trunk in the attic," says Basinger, 72. "They may not be as funny or as sad or as magnificent as you remember. But they remind you of who you were and where you were when you first saw them."

Author of 10 books on film, including her most recent, "The Star Machine," Basinger sees a contrast between movie-viewing experiences of the past and the present.

"In the 'old days,' people weren't glutted with entertainment options in their homes. Going to the movies was a spectacularly impressive occasion. Movie houses were palaces and movies were silver nitrates. It was where you courted. You sat in the dark and watched something bigger than life. It was magical and when the run was over, the movie was gone," says Basinger.

While going out to the movies might have been a popular date destination in the past, these days, many older Americans prefer to watch movies from the comfort of their own homes. A 2006 survey by Pew Research revealed that 67 percent of respondents 65 and older "never" or "hardly ever" go to movie theaters and 75 percent of those surveyed expressed a preference for watching movies at home.

For movie fans who still prefer the big-screen experience and the awards that follow, this year marks the 80th year of the Academy Awards - and AARP's seventh annual Movies for Grownups Awards.

Nominees for the AARP awards are chosen on the basis of their appeal to older audiences. Winners receive La Chaise d'Or - The Golden Chair - a whimsical trophy in the shape of a vintage movie theater.

This year, "The Savages," received the award for Best Movie for Grownups.

Best Actor 50 and Over went to Chris Cooper for his role in "Breach."

Julie Christie picked up the award for Best Actress 50 and Over for her role in "Away From Her." Tom Wilkinson took honors for Best Supporting Actor 50 and Over for his performance in "Michael Clayton."