The Meaning Of This Film To Me

I think the story is very clear. When he starts, he's farthest from home, and farthest from reality. Notice the relationships between those friends - it's the closest he has. He longs for youth, especially with his old babysitter. The more he swims (the more he lives) the more tired he becomes. The closer he gets home, the more he is to reality. Notice at the party he says "They aren't even on my Christmas list" and begins to show less and less appreciation depending on what they can do for him. He's always asking for things. It starts off with a pool, which can be seen as another metaphor, swimming through life and drinking more and more. At first he asks for lemonade, then money for the rec center and sees he's been ostracized from society.

Ned warns the little boy that being "in the club" is lifeless. If the only thing a character has is money, the minute he loses it, he becomes a nobody.

You can take it as a satire on the middle-class lie. Money is an allusion. They lived boring lives, spending all their time with grass and other yardwork when they never enjoy it. How can you enjoy life if you are working constantly trying to make more and more. When are you going to enjoy it? When you're too old to move? There are millions of ways to die, and some people die with millions, no experiences, and a complete waste. Ned Merrill also didn't have many great relationships. He seemed to use the women. He shows the most anger just because he wasn't a great lover. Ego.

Whether you have money or not isn't relevant if you're not happy. Instead of measuring the bank account, measure your happiness. In the end, he didn't even have a home. He was out of options, he had nothing left.