Lester, considering himself "an ordinary guy with nothing to lose" chooses to quit his job. Upon his leaving he seeks out a new job at a fast food restaurant so he can reminisce on his life as a teenager, young and carefree, "with the least [amount of] responsibility [possible]". Making the choice to quit his job and work in a fast food restaurant symbolizes his transition from a life in which Lester was "locked up", to a new life in which Lester is now free to control his future. .
"Kevin is just an exceptional actor," Mendes states. "he was one of the few actors who I felt was going to be able to convince me he was normal person, a sort of contemporary everyman figure. I also needed someone who could be very vulnerable at the beginning of the story and gradually grow in strength. I thought the transformation would appeal to him, so I really pursued him for the role." Describing the part of Lester Burnham, Spacey notes, "I think Lester is very much like a lot of men in American life, who start out having certain ideas about the kind of life they will have, but somewhere along the line, they get squashed down. Something happened to Lester that promotes change, that makes him remember the things he wanted. He suddenly realizes the lack of honesty in his life, the lack of communication - not being able to say what he actually feels and do what he actually wants. He's grappling with feelings that have long been dormant, but have been reawakened in him. It's not so much a mid-life crisis, but rather a sort of rebirth. He begins to realize how precious life is . . . a realization that's in some ways too late.".
Early on in the movie, the viewer is introduced to Angela Hayes, the stunning best friend of Lester's daughter, Jane. As the movie progresses, Angela entertains the idea of having sex with Lester, much to Janes disgust, and Lester repeatedly dreams about making love to this girl that is not even half his age.
