The 2012 Oscars and Actors of a Certain Age

THIS week I have a brief piece on SecondAct, the site devoted to people 40 and over. (A demographic I joined four years ago today, and am happy to belong to if it includes Brad Pitt.) I look at some of the actors nominated for this year's Academy Awards -- George Clooney (The Descendants), Meryl Streep (Iron Lady), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and five others.

Not sure there's an unalloyed masterpiece this year. But seems to me this year's Oscars includes some really smart movies and a wealth of great performances.