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A cinematic guide to confronting postgrad malaise.Fox Searchlight Pictures

It’s getting to be that time of year where if you listen closely, you can hear millions of parents asking soon-to-be graduates about their plans for the future. Transitioning out of an academic setting can be tricky. And with it comes a very specific kind of funk; a strange and aimless limbo aggravated by the dreaded…so — now what?

I’ve heard that millennials are adult babies and back in the day dinosaurs walked uphill both ways and payed for their entire tuition with the quarters they earned selling lemonade during the summer. Which is to say: the financial and social pressures shouldered by recent graduates are very real existential threats. Thankfully, small comfort though it may be, the disenchanted former student has more than a few cinematic role models to choose from. The postgrad film, older sibling to the high school coming-of-age-movie, concerns...

The Darjeeling Limited was the only Wes Anderson film I had yet to see. Thanks to Criterion, I can now scratch that stat off my list, though I'm not sure I'll ever be returning to it. I don't say this because I hated it, simply because I don't feel there is much need to see it twice. I've seen it, I've moved on and there are far too many films I have not seen and others I'd much rather watch again to really give this one much of a second thought.

It should be mentioned I am not one of Anderson's die-hard followers. As much as I love Bottle Rocket and The Fantastic Mr. Fox, most of Anderson's other work (yes, even Rushmore) has done very little to interest me. That said, I can see why his fans are so loyal as most of his work follows a similar tone...