Audiences were pleasantly surprised with the Top Gun sequel that only took almost 40 years to make. The iconic movie has stood the test of time, pleasing fans even today. Now, Top Gun: Maverick viewers have shown their appreciation for the film at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards.
In 1986, Tom Cruise flew into our lives with Top Gun, the year’s top movie as rated by IMDb along with Aliens at number two, followed by Stand by Me, Labyrinth, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off rounding out the top five. The song’s theme, Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins, became a huge hit because of its attachment to the movie. Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, Meg Ryan, and Tom Skerritt each enjoyed the rise in their star power thanks to the flick.
Along comes 2022, and Cruise reprised his role in Top Gun: Maverick along with Kilmer. However, the movie brought in new players such as fan favorites Jennifer Connelly and Jon Hamm along with rising stars Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, and Jay Ellis. Once again, it’s a favorite among fans of all ages, but it’s the older generation that has christened it their favorite movie of the year.
The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards are just what they say they are. The American Association of Retired Persons has memberships of all ages, but its focus is on those 50 years and older. That pairs perfectly with Top Gun‘s original stars since Cruise is now 60 years old and Kilmer is 63. Thus, winning Best Picture from the AARP was only fitting for a franchise that began nearly four decades ago.
So far, Maverick has won 65 awards in total and has been nominated for nearly 200 altogether. The big winner is actually Claudio Miranda for his cinematography on the film, having won over 20 awards in a wide array of award ceremonies throughout the country. However, Cruise and the film itself are also big winners as well. It’s a good thing that after getting over the flashbacks and the hot flashes, the grownups were able to gather themselves together for what GQ called the “most crowd-pleasing blockbuster of the year.”