We’ve all been well trained (via pop culture) to spot the tell-tale signs of a mid-life crisis:
- newly purchased, brightly coloured, flashy sports car
- equally novel, brightly coloured, flashy clothing (often unbuttoned to reveal said mid-lifer’s chest)
- mayhaps some thoughtfully purchased nips and tucks
But what, pray tell, are the signs of a quarter-life crisis?? Tune into my new and fabulous reality show to find out!
JK! Unfortunately MTV has yet to spot the gold mine that is the fascinating wonder of getting an inside and exclusive look at a fumbling 26 year old’s life – the trials, the tribulations, the excessive amounts of cereal…
Over the past few months I have joined the wildly popular ranks of the one in five (thanks NYT for the stats) quarter-lifers who have boomeranged back home. What is boomeranging you ask? Well kids, I’ll tell you one thing, it ain’t pretty. Boomeranging is that thing a once independent 20-something must do when life plans don’t quite go as planned, and due to circumstance, they must move back home (the alternative is to become a glamorous and perpetual couch surfer).
What does boomeranging consist of? Well, it’s a very elegant little dance:
- Step 1: Move home, only unpack the essentials – REMEMBER – this situation is only temporary
- Step 2: Revert back to and reclaim the angst of your teenage youth
- Step 3: Watch while your generous and sweet parents must put up with your angsty nonsense (luv uuuuu guyzzz)
- Step 4: Eat all of the foods (all the grainy cereal goodness, all the cold spaghetti, more cereal..everything)
- Step 5: Do work, save money, check craigslist for new apartments, and bide your time (all from the comfort of the hermit fort you’ve set up in your childhood room of course), until finally, all the pieces of your life puzzle (I think mine is one of these mofo’s) fall into place
Until that day comes though (I move out December 1st!), there are so many great quarter-life crisis movies to show you: you are not alone! Other great, fictional characters have gone through exactly what you’re going through! Maybe watching these films only causes you to further dwell on your less than ideal life situation, but hell, sometimes it is this indulgent rumination that gives you the kick in the ass you so desperately need.
It took us a while, but here we are: a list of my Top 5 Quarter-Life Crisis Films, plus some honourable mentions.
Hello I Must Be Going
The Graduate
Garden State
Tiny Furniture
Frances Ha
This is one of the greatest movies ever!!! #Frances4eva
Honourable Mentions
- Girl Most Likely
- Reality Bites
- Lost in Translation
- Young Adult
- Silver Linings Playbook
- In a World
- Bridesmaids
- The Lifeguard
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the rêve head 