Just saw George Clooney’s homage to midlife change in the film “Up in the Air.” It is quite a piece of work!
I approached this film assuming it would be a simple, but funny story about the painful changes we are all going through as our world transforms around us. I went through the recession BEFORE the recession. I lost my marriage, my career and almost my house in 2004, long before it became so common.
That is why I so appreciated the many images of regular, non-actors at the moment they learned that they are losing their jobs.
“Playing it safe” is the most dangerous thing you can do!
These scenes took me right back to that moment…and in my case it was the biggest surprise of my entire life! I had had not one bad evaluation, no hints, not even one word of warning, before my boss called me into his office to say, time to look for another job. Of course, there were no other jobs in libraries, even back then!
The sudden realization after 25 years in the same career field, that I was apparently disposable, completely took my breath away, literally. I had followed the safe career path, and hadn’t EVER received ANY criticism of my job performance. Still and all, I now believe it was the perfect wake up call for me.
I loved best the part of the movie where George Clooney says to the pissed off, laid off guy, “Remember how much you love cooking? It may be time to get back to what you really love and what you are uniquely great at.” As difficult as it can be to hear these words, that is what midlife change is all about.
I also appreciated the way this movie didn’t try to glorify or simplify the complexities of changing your worldview and lifestyle at midlife. The woman that the George Clooney character, Ryan, falls in love with, wasn’t secretly pining for a long-term relationship with him. Instead, her response was similar to the stereotypic philandering male, “Hey, I have a life, and you are just a fun distraction for me.”
Midlife change is messy, difficult and complex, especially when everything changes in your life in one day. I’m glad this film didn’t try to over-simplify or minimize the experience. I also enjoyed the music.
To learn more about what I learned through my own midlife transformation, please read my books: Midlife Magic: Becoming the person you are inside! and my Midife Change Workbook.
