That's life. If nothing else, It's life. It's real, and sometimes it fuckin' hurts, but it's sort of all we have.

I watched a couple of coming of age movies the other day. First was the 80s version of life after college graduation found in St. Elmo's Fire. This movie is cheesy as hell with some less than stellar acting, entertaining fashion choices and some cheesy dialogue, but I adore it. I first watched it when I was 21. In it, between all the cheese, I found a movie about things I was going through. I related too much to Demi Moore's character Jules. I knew what it was like to have all this self-created drama, to be unbelievably tired at a young age, to not live up to the image I presented. She and Ally Sheedy's Leslie are the only  characters I can relate to in the film. Kevin is too depressing, Alec is a hypocritical ass, Billy is a wreck, Wendy is too nice, and Kirby is kind of a stalker. But in Leslie and Jules, I saw pieces of myself. I saw a reflection of my own feelings. And even though it is cheesy and no longer so relevant to my circumstances, I remember how I felt at that time. Growing up and really starting to act like an adult is not easy. It was nice to see that other people feel the same way.

In the same day, I watched the movie that provided the title quote, Garden State. This was the coming of age film for my generation a few years back. I remember so clearly watching this movie in 2004 thinking: Finally. Finally someone makes a movie for people around my age that feels like my life. It was the first indie type movie I saw and a first for movies that really hit the core of where I was at that time. And it is still very relevant to how I feel. Also it has a fantastic soundtrack. It made sense to me when I watched it at 18 and it makes even more sense to me now. I feel like someone else has been where I am. I relate to the character of Andrew Largeman. I get how hard life can be when it hurts. I get how a few days can change everything. I get the numbness and the fear that can creep in. It all makes sense to me.

A lot of people seem to enjoy hating this movie now. Like suddenly the people who loved this movie when it came out now like to be too cool to like it. They complain about the indie music being overused, the character type that Natalie Portman plays, the once iconic scenes that now feel cliched, and the growing pains people hit in their mid-20s. But it is still true to life. The music wasn't overdone in 2004. It was refreshing. Natalie Portman's character wasn't an overused shell, she was a unique, imperfect woman. The growing pains of being in your mid-20s may be pathetic and self-absorbed, but it is part of life. And movies like St Elmo's Fire, Reality Bites and Garden State each being released in the 80s, 90s and 2000s indicate that this is a common phase of life for people of this age. Post-college, pre-successful career, it is easy to feel completely lost, sad, let down by the promises of what lay ahead, afraid and alone. And this might seem silly to some people but when you are in it, you are in it. Movies that help you feel understood matter. It helps to know you are not alone and that this is a part of life.

I love coming-of-age movies, particularly post-college movies. Probably because I am not far removed from my own university graduation. I am in the early stages of a career that I hope to succeed in. I worry a lot about failing everyone. I spend a lot of time listening to music and watching movies and thinking about my life. I am in that "annoying" 20-something phase of life. It is nice to feel like it is normal, to feel understood.