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Lester's journey begins when he falls in love with Jane's sexy best friend Angela, who comes to him in his dreams, encompassed in rose petals. In a bid to make himself more attractive to Angela, Lester begins to work out, so that he can "look good naked". However, the transformation doesn't stop there. His initial taste of change is sweet, and Lester continues, quitting his job, buying a shiny red sportscar, telling his wife and daughter what he thinks of them and starting to smoke weed. The freedom that comes with the choices Lester makes is shown when he undresses in the garage and works out naked - he is stripping away the materialistic clothes, the restrictive neck ties and the dead layers of skin, revealing what is underneath. With Lester's nudity, Mendes symbolises the attainment of freedom. Jane also finds freedom, when she undresses on camera for Ricky, slowly and uncertainly removing her clothes and finding the freedom that lurked beneath them. The strange beauty-obsessed Ricky, is never shown undressing, and is completely comfortable with the freedom of nudity. As Jane films Ricky through the video camera he constantly totes, she asks him, "Don't you feel naked?", and Ricky calmly replies "I am naked.".
Ricky does not need to be shown undressing because he is metaphorically naked throughout the film - he is already free. Angela also, eventually removes the layers of clothing that hide her, but she does not do it for herself. Instead, it is Lester who slowly pulls away her garments, revealing her and freeing her from the lie she lives. Mr. Fitz never becomes fully naked, but in the garage scene where he shows his true sexuality, his shirt is drenched through, as though with tears, making it almost transparent. This shows the need for him to be free, but he does not take the final step because he is not strong enough. Likewise, Lester's wife Caroline is never shown to be naked.
