Garcelle Beauvais said her May-December romance film “Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted by Love” won’t avoid any of the realities that come with women and aging, noting that menopause and body aches are part of the natural process of getting older.
“When [Terry McMillan and I] were collaborating on ‘Tempted by Love,’ I really wanted it to come from a real place,” Beauvais told TheWrap. “At first we’re like, ‘Is it too much to do the arthritis? Is it too much to do the menopause?’ But we’re like, ‘But that’s what real women go through.’ So why would we shy away from that?”
The film, which stars and is executive produced by Beauvais, follows the journey of world-renowned chef Ava, who has been living in Europe but rushes home to care for her elderly aunt in South Carolina after she suffers from a fall. She’s then picked up after a long flight by a handsome driver 20 years her junior named Luke (Vaughn W. Hebron). As the film’s description reads, “the pair unexpectedly feel an instant connection. With a mutual love of food, family and fun, Ava and Luke have the perfect recipe for love. Despite her love for him, Ava soon realizes that Luke still has much to experience in life and she must decide what is best for her own career and relationships.”
Beauvais said she wanted “Tempted by Love” to accurately portray what it’s like for mature women to date and find love without covering up her age.
“We wanted to make sure the story stayed real. It wasn’t about, ‘Oh, a good-looking older woman meets a younger guy.’ We talk about the real stuff — we talk about arthritis, she’s going through menopause,” Beauvais said. “[Lou] didn’t care about any of those things. The Lou character didn’t care. And I think that’s the beauty of it. Sometimes we’re ashamed because we’ve been taught to be ashamed, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of because the alternative is, you’re not around at all to have any of these things.”
She continued: “What I love about the story is that even if you’re going through those things, you can still find love. You can still be intimate and feel sexy. That’s what I want people to [feel] after they see the movie. And then when it’s Terry McMillan, it’s told from a woman’s point of view.”
“Tempted by Love,” a creative collaboration between Beauvais, novelist Terry McMillan (“Waiting to Exhale,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back”) and Lifetime, is the latest project to come from Beauvais’ partnership with the cable channel. Beauvais previously worked on “Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie” with Lifetime, which made its debut on July 20.
“Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted By Love” premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, Aug. 17 and stars Beauvais, Hebron, Lela Rochon, Loretta Devine and Donna Biscoe.
Watch the trailer below:
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