I was in the sixth grade when Fight Club came out, and in the years following its release, I watched what some consider to be one of the best ‘90s movies more times than I can count. There was something about David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s breakthrough novel of the same that just resonated and made me want to watch it whenever I could. But until recently, it had been years since I checked it out or revisited its mind-blowing plot twist.
I must admit, while watching the Edward Norton and Brad Pitt-led drama about a group of Gen-Xers finding new ways to work through their issues with themselves and society as a whole was still an enjoyable experience, I had a very different response to it as a 30-something myself. Allow me to explain…
Fight Club Was One Of My Favorite Movies As A Teenager, One I Watched All The Time
As mentioned above, I was OBSESSED with Fight Club as a teenager, so much so that I read Chuck Palahniuk’s book (and pretty much every one of his other novels through about 2007) multiple times in high school. Road trips to the beach? Pop in that VHS. Spending the night at a friend’s house? Make it a Fight Club and Seven double feature. You get it.
Even outside of the crazy ending, I used to love talking about this movie with anyone who’d listen, even my unfortunate junior-year English teacher who made the mistake of talking about book-to-screen adaptations. This was my jam back in the day, is basically what I’m saying.
I Used To Relate To Edward Norton's Character's Struggle And Saw Him As A Hero Of The Underground
Back when I was younger, I used to relate to Edward Norton’s unnamed narrator more than just about any movie character. I thought his breaking free of the corporate hellscape and finding new purpose and meaning in life was not only admirable but really freaking cool. He was this hero of the underground, at least when viewed through my adolescent eyes and mind.
Though misguided and whiny at times, the iconic ‘90s movie character had a relatable struggle, and as an actual middle child, I felt seen with his day-to-day problems and eventual escape from the madness of the doldrums.
But Now I See Him As A Whiny Dude Who Can't Handle Being An Adult
Oh, how things have changed since I last watched Fight Club. Though I still think this is one of Edward Norton’s best performances, “Jack” as he often refers to himself as while reading those old books at the Paper Street house, is just a whiny dude who can’t handle the pressures of being an adult. Dude, none of us want to spend a large chunk of our lives working for corporations – and call me cynical – but that’s just the way it is sometimes.
And I know that’s one of the points of the movie and we’re not really supposed to sympathize with Norton’s character, or Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden for that matter, but teenage me didn’t know that at the time.
As A Teenager, I Saw Project Mayhem As A Revolutionary Force Fighting Back At The Man
If you asked any middle schooler about Fight Club on the bus, they’d first recite Tyler Durden’s “The first rule of Fight Club…” speech. Once that was out of the way, it wouldn’t take long for the conversation to turn to Project Mayhem, the little terrorist group of 30-year-old teenagers who got bored of fighting in basements and started carrying out massive plots.
I was one of them. I loved (and still do) this aspect of the movie and sometimes wish it was further explored before the big final reveal (you know the one). I didn’t have dreams of installing burning smiley faces on buildings, destroying Starbucks with art installations, or planning a devastating string of explosions, but a healthy dose of anarchy, as misguided as it was, seemed like a fun release.
Now, I See The Group As A Bunch Of Single Guys 'Sticking It To The Man' Because They Can't Cope
At times, it feels like David Fincher and Chuck Palahniuk are making fun of the members of Project Mayhem, and that seems to be the point. Here we have a group of single adult men who can’t handle the complexities of modern life and revert back to an immature and almost primitive state to carry out acts of vandalism (and worse) because they feel cast aside by society.
This exploration of toxic masculinity and fragile egos is absolutely brilliant as it makes you evaluate your perception of something you once held so dear. At least, that’s how I see it watching Fight Club as an adult.
I Guess I Missed The Point Of The Movie As A High Schooler, But Now The Satirical Tone Is Incredibly Clear
It’s not on the level of folks not realizing that All in the Family was a satire of a certain type of person in the 1970s, but I guess I just failed to pick up or look over the satirical tone of Fight Club. Filled with characters we hate to love and over-the-top monologues and manifestos that sound like they’re written by a teenager who just got his PlayStation taken away, the movie plays out like a really dark (both tonally and in the way it’s shot) comedy.
But Don't Get Me Wrong, I Still Love Fight Club
Don’t let any of this lead you to believe that I hate Fight Club. Sure, maybe I’m not as crazy about it as I was back in the day, but I still think it’s one of the best 20th Century Fox movies even if Roger Ebert famously despised it. It’s just that my perception of the movie has changed over the course of the past 25 years, and I think that looking at it through a different lens has almost made me appreciate it more, just on a different level.
Yeah, there are choices I don’t agree with and some aspects of the movie are still a drag, but to call this a bad movie would be a lie.
All in all, watching Fight Club after all these years was a fun and eye-opening experience. If you want to go back and revisit one of David Fincher’s best movies, you can do so right now with a Hulu subscription.
