Unfortunately, I don't have a screen-grab or a link, but I want you to take my word for it: legendary comedienne, screenwriter and director Elaine May (who made one of the funniest-ever comedies, A NEW LEAF, released in 1971) has replaced Priscilla Presley and GENERAL HOSPITAL's Jackie Zeman as the poster person for unnecessary-and-unflattering later-life cosmetic surgery. My wife and I vividly noticed this when watching a DVR playback of USA's two-hours-with-commercials condensation of the AFI Tribute to Warren Beatty.
In Ms. May's case, she rarely appears onscreen (the last example I can think of is a supporting role in Woody Allen's SMALL TIME CROOKS years ago)--so I'm amazed and appalled that women of a certain age that toil in Show Business on the other side of the camera feel the need to bow to social conformity by way of tucks and tightening. Whereas, aging men in the business such as screenwriter/director Robert Towne, are able to look like, say, an old desert rat in a tux, and no one looks askance at this sexist double standard.
Ms. May's face looks as if she were punched--hard--on both cheeks. By comparison, Faye Dunaway's facial surgery, with notable cheekbone work, looks relatively subtle.
Enough said on this unfortunate fact of Hollywood life.
Thank you so much for reassuring me that I'm not totally meshuggah. I just saw an image of Elaine May with Woody Allen in today's (10/16/11) NYT; her face startled me. She is now soft and pillowy rather than strong and edgy. My son was 11 when A New Leaf was released and we saw it 7 times. It's still one of my (our) favorite films.
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