The 1970s and 1980s saw a shift in the representation of mature women on screen. Films like Thelma and Louise (1991) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) featured strong, complex female characters in their 40s and 50s, played by actresses like Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, and Kathy Bates. These characters were not relegated to marginal roles but were instead at the forefront of the narrative.