Right off the bat, before I forget, this post will contain spoilers. It is intended for people who have seen the film franchise and are interested in a generationally specific analysis.
I have made the argument that the original 1988 Beetlejuice movie is the most Gen X movie ever. If you haven’t seen that post already, you can check it out here.
Forgive me, but I have something of a love affair with this franchise, and I just never run out of things to say about it. Ever since I watched the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Now, I am under no illusion that Tim Burton and other creators wrote this movie to reflect a plethora of generational truths. Of course, they did not. But I tend to see everything through a lens of generational stereotypes, and this movie managed to explain, whether intentionally or not, what I have suspected for a long time. Generation X and Generation Z are kindred spirits.
It’s a Boomer/Millennial World, Baby
The first movie was, without a doubt, a story about a Gen X girl surviving a Boomer society. In the sequel, we see the two smaller generations, X and Z, navigating a modern world dominated by more populous and powerful generations, Boomers and Millennials.
Advertisers and businesses have always catered to Boomers and Millennials, so they’re used to wielding some influence. Gen X and Z, however, are a little less noticeable, considered a bit more of a nuisance, and have to fight a little harder for the attention they deserve. They are both often content to fade into the background, but they will assert themselves as needed.
What we ultimately see in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is Gen X and Gen Z connecting, teaming up, and separating themselves from the other generations.
Four Main Characters Representin’
For a refresher on each character’s name and role, pull up the IMDB here.
I contend that each of the four main characters represents a different generation. Astrid is clearly Gen Z. Lydia is notably Gen X. Delia is a Baby Boomer, and I argue here that Rory represents the Millennial generation.
You might be thinking that Millennial Rory is a stretch. One may presume that Lydia’s fiancé is approximately her own age, and the actor playing Rory, Justin Theroux, is a Gen X actor. However, I will now lay out reasons I believe he is depicted in a stereotypical Millennial style.
First, he’s too sensitive and self-centered to be Gen X. Remember what he says to Lydia in the bathroom at the beginning? “It’s like when you’re hurting, it’s hurting me.” He also has unrealistic expectations without realizing it, as evidenced by his funeral-day proposal, during which he claims a rejection is “too much loss” for him. He is consumed by image and his social media presence, he is very (too much) relationship-focused, and he is living out loud his mental health journey. Finally, man bun.
I’ve already made the argument that Delia is a classic Boomer in my previous Beetlejuice post. She remains true to character in Part 2. Delia is outrageously self-absorbed and entitled. Some of my favorite quotes of the movie are from Delia and demonstrate this hilariously. “It would kill Charles to know I have to cancel my show,” for example.
For a list of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice quotes, visit this post next.
I don’t believe an argument is required to demonstrate that Lydia and Astrid are Gen X and Gen Z, respectively. Firstly, Winona Ryder is a Generation X icon, and Jenna Ortega is a Generation Z icon. But additionally, the two characters distinctly separate themselves trait-wise from Delia and Rory. Mainly, they are both nonconformists more interested in self-expression and authenticity than popularity.
But hold up – does this really describe Lydia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?
Although it is plain as day-o that Lydia is Gen X in the first film, her character in the sequel is more ambiguous stereotypically. She does not strongly represent Gen X in this movie.
Lydia Has Sold Out
Since we last saw Lydia, she has succumbed to the Boomer/Millennial-dominated world. While she still stands out in appearance and career choice, Lydia has conformed to succeed. Interestingly, it has made her daughter resent her and her stepmother like her all the more. Meanwhile, she has picked up a fiancé that no one would have expected, and even she seems annoyed by.
I assume this process of selling out began some time ago, as she tells Astrid that her marriage to Richard was over long before he went missing. This is surprising because the way in which Richard is described by both Lydia and Astrid (i.e., horror movie marathon and elaborate Halloween costumes) indicates he and the Lydia we used to know should have been thoroughly compatible.
Modern Lydia is a media personality and medium. Even though we know she is able to see and speak with the dead, she behaves as an obvious fraud. Teenage Lydia helped ghosts in need. Middle-aged Lydia seems to exploit them for profit and celebrity. We can tell that she isn’t comfortable with this life, but she seems disempowered to change.
Lydia is inauthentic. Not only is authenticity a trait valued highly by Gen X, but it is highly valued in Gen Z as well. It is this inauthenticity that has driven the wedge between Lydia and Astrid.
Lydia and Astrid Are Mirror Images of Each Other
In many ways, Astrid mirrors her mother. They each have an absent parent, a parent with which they have a strained relationship, and a new or soon-to-be stepparent who requires a lot of attention. While Lydia had a parent who didn’t understand her, in the sequel, it is Astrid who doesn’t understand her mother, making it difficult for the two to connect.
Astrid and Lydia also have the obvious in common, the ability to see and speak to the dead.
The main reason Astrid doesn’t connect well with her mother is that she views her as a phony and a sellout. Of course, Lydia can communicate with the dead, but she allows her gift to be misused. Even if Astrid believed Lydia possessed this ability, she still would not respect her mother’s decisions. She is an idealist and an activist, just as her mother was at the same age.
Astrid and Lydia are shown to be kindred spirits through stories of Richard, Astrid’s father. They have mirrored stories with Richard, Astrid with their elaborate, age-inappropriate Halloween costumes and father-daughter future travel plans, and Lydia with their horror movie marathons where her water broke during Kill, Baby, Kill. We can see that these two have much in common with each other, even if they don’t recognize this until the end.
In Beetlejuice, the conflict between Lydia and her parents couldn’t be resolved until Delia and Charles both believed Lydia could see the ghosts, and they stopped trying to exploit this gift for personal gain. Likewise, in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the rift between Astrid and Lydia can only be resolved by Astrid accepting Lydia’s (and hers) gift, and Lydia had to acknowledge and stop trying to exploit this gift for personal gain.
Gen X and Gen Z both value and require authenticity in their lives and relationships. This is a key similarity between the two generations and a key difference between them and other generations. Stereotypically.
(I say ‘stereotypically’ a lot because I am using stereotypes, and I want to be clear that there are always variations and stereotyping, while fun and useful, can be inaccurate when applied to individuals. So don’t get super mad at me.)
Jeremy is the Nail in the Coffin
The character Jeremy is the proof in the pudding that Gen X and Gen Z have a natural connection. When Astrid meets Jeremy, they immediately hit it off. And there is no doubt in my mind that Jeremy is Gen X.
When Jeremy relays the story of his death – leaving out some details – he tells Astrid it happened 23 years, 5 months, and 14 days ago. Now, if we counted backwards from when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was released, we would find Jeremy as a teenager in the early 2000s, implying a Millennial age range. But I suggest that would be wrong. First of all, recall that this sequel had been in the works for many years, so counting back from its eventual release is probably unhelpful.
The best evidence that Jeremy was a teen in the 90s is his room. When Astrid looks around, she comments on his 90s vinyl collection. We can presume these albums were accrued in real time, rather than Astrid’s assumption that they are a vintage collection. His posters, his flannel, even the music that plays during his scenes, all indicate a mid-’90s vibe. And my favorite: He makes a Happy Days reference that goes completely over Astrid’s head. Gen X would be familiar with these reruns, while anyone younger, not so much.
Astrid and Jeremy connect immediately through shared interests and experiences, despite the dramatic age difference that we later realize exists. They both feel isolated and emotionally separated from family and others. Okay, so they share this sense of isolation for very different reasons, but I would still argue that these feelings were typical for teenage Gen X, even your standard, non-murdering type.
We must temper our expectations of a murdering, desperate ghost. But even though Jeremy behaves in the most cynical of ways, manipulating Astrid into trading her life for his, I still believe he genuinely liked her, and she him. My main point being, all things being equal, Gen X and Gen Z relate to and connect easily with each other.
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’?
Do we expect a third movie? I sure do! And you better believe I’ll watch it like I watch the others – dorkily analyzing how all the generations are portrayed. Prediction: Get ready for a Gen Alpha super villain!
For more Beetlejuice posts, try these:
All the Best ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Quotes
‘Beetlejuice’ Is The Most Gen X Movie Ever
Gen Xer Tries ChatGPT For the First Time
More Gen X Movie Posts:
Gen X Actors/Actresses of the 2020s
For a little more generational analysis: