The comedy The Father of the Bride, released in 1991 in the United States, portrays middle-aged parents who are overwhelmed by their daughter's impending marriage. This depiction of middle age, however, appears to be far removed from the experiences of people reaching this stage of life today. Middle-aged individuals in the 2020s differ significantly from those of the 1990s, regardless of the angle used to compare them. The average age of mothers at childbirth in France has increased from 24 years in 1967 to 31 years in 2023. One fifth of adults do not plan to have any children at all. Millennials, who are now reaching middle age, face financial and cultural realities that provoke feelings of not meeting the standards of modern adulthood. However, the way aging is viewed influences behavior in middle age, leaving more room for professional life and adventure. Sociologists have noted that the first millennials (those born around 1981) did not reach the usual goals of academic success, obtaining a job, marriage, and having a child. Twenty-four years later, the age at which people get married or become parents continues to be delayed. In France, the average age for first childbirth in 2021 was 29 years, the highest ever recorded. A Pew Research Center survey indicates that 44% of adults aged 18 to 49 who have not yet had children have planned not to have any. Financial pressures influence these decisions. The average savings of millennials in 2016 amounted to $23,200, which is 34% less than historical trends. The theory of the "midlife crisis" has been discredited, as only a small percentage of people have admitted to experiencing it, which can actually occur at any age. Middle age is a period where people refocus on others, finding a sense of life through mentoring or activism. The dual trend of millennials having children later and parents living longer intensifies the "sandwich generation" phenomenon. Generations born more recently feel progressively less in control of their destiny than previous generations. Millennials must also manage the instability of the job market, geopolitical upheavals, the cost of living, and inflation, as well as the growing role of social networks. Karen Fingerman and other sociologists refer to the phenomenon of millennials measuring their growth against criteria from another century as "cultural lag." Without structure to support them, many millennials feel they are experiencing an extended adolescence. Some, however, see this as an opportunity for flexibility. Advances in biotechnology have allowed the fertility rates of women aged 40 to 45 to increase by 132% between 1990 and 2019, giving women more time than ever before to have children. Recent national data show that the autonomy of the elderly is increasing, with fewer adults over 72 years old reporting unmet needs for autonomy and mobility and having a "high physical capacity" in this age group reaching nearly a third between 2011 and 2019. Millennials are redefining adulthood, making room for a version where "it is not necessary to leave the parental home to be an adult; it is not necessary to get married to be an adult." Trends such as co-living, polyamory, and digital nomadism reflect this shift. Instead of pursuing goals that may seem impossible to achieve, it might be about "seeing the constraints that weigh on our lives and adapting to them," using these limits to trigger a process of self-definition and exploration.