Is what's good for the gander really good for the goose?

The pairing of older men with much-younger women has been a standard practice on the silver screen dating back to the days of Bogie and Bacall.

With age gaps of as much as 20 years, what could such couples have in common? Sometimes these pairings appear silly, unlikely, or just icky.

But, what about when the situation is reversed and a older woman is paired with a much-younger man? Would the same critique apply?

In other words, to twist an old expression, "Is what's good for the gander really good for the goose?"

While thumbing through some back issues of Entertainment Weekly, I found a couple of films that made pairings of stars who are close in real-life age. I find this much more realistic and workable. I hope it's something we see more of.

"Love Ranch" Joe Pesci, 67, and Helen Mirren, 65 opens in limited release Wednesday, June 30. Watch the trailer here:



Is this film feminist? Maybe not. Is it exploitative? Possibly. Who cares? Not me -- I love this pairing and the example it sets -- and the question it raises: "Is what's good for the gander good for the goose?"

FYI: Helen Mirren is married to Taylor Hackford, 66, the film's director.

Another great on-screen pairing is my birthday twin, Tina Fey, 40, and Steve Carell, 48, in "Date Night." I think they look great together.

Look for "Date Night" on DVD August 10. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer: