We now have a cinematic landscape where can fly through the multiverse, Emma Thompson can get naked in a hotel room to find herself, Helen Mirren can drive a muscle car, and Jean Smart can deliver a punchline so sharp it draws blood.
This led to the "Hollywood Makeover" trope: the "frumpy" middle-aged woman who removes her glasses and gets a haircut to win back her husband. Mature women were caricatures, not characters. They were mothers of the protagonist (often played by an actress only ten years younger) or comic relief. Their desires, ambitions, and sexuality were erased.
: Stories where a woman’s worth is tied to reclaiming youthfulness through a romantic affair.
This was the "Grey Ceiling"—an invisible barrier where a woman’s talent was negated by her skin’s texture.