Generation (Memore) X (Reality Bites (DVD))

Member Name: ihatebroccoli

Product:	Reality Bites (DVD)
Date:	19/02/01 (114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ethan Hawke again making a brilliant king of slackers

Disadvantages: You can get a bit fed up of Winona Ryder's whinging after a bit

I have seen this film countless times, and I *still* keep watching it over. I guess it’s the whole “graduates out in the real world” thing that must appeal to me or something (that and Ethan Hawke of course). It’s not exactly running for best film in the world, but it has a certain attraction for me, which keeps me interested in the characters – finding myself comparing them to previous housemates I’ve had etc… You could dismiss this film as “so 90s” and leave it at that, but I think it is another of those films, which matured me in a way. After I’d got over watching all the 80s American teen movies, I started to wander into a more mature movie-watching arena – the 90s “20 something films”, of which Reality Bites is definitely a member.

The film is sort of divided up into two parts – the real life experiences of four friends (Laney, Vickie, Sammy and Troy) living in Houston Texas, and then their videotaped experiences (taped by Winona Ryder’s character Lelaina, who “works in TV”). Lelaina (or Laney) shares a house with Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) who works at The Gap, and occasionally with Troy (Ethan Hawke) the slacker who works at a “Newsstand” and plays in his band “Hey! That’s My Bike!”.

Lelaina Pierce (Ryder) was valedictorian of her University, and now she’s having to consider working at “Burgerama”. After majoring in Film (sounds familiar ;-)) she’s graduated, and is out in the real world working on morning breakfast programme “Good morning Grant!” The show is hosted by the irritable “Grant” played by Frasier’s Dad John Mahoney, who dislikes Ryder, leading her to take some rather drastic action whilst he is live on air (also leading to her getting fired). She then has to consider her options – Burgarama, working at The Gap with Vickie, or surviving
until the right job comes along – she chooses the latter. Surviving, however, does involve her obtaining a BMW, buying all her groceries on plastic, and some ingenious cash-flow solutions.

The film was directed by Ben Stiller (probably best know for his role as Ted in There’s Something About Mary, and more recently for Meet the Parents co-starring Robert DeNiro). Stiller also acts in it, playing the somewhat laughable character of Michael Grates, Lelaina’s boyfriend. He is a TV executive for MTV-type station “In Your Face TV”, and originally meets Lelaina in a rather unusual way. Laney then starts dating Michael, caught up between Troy’s views that he is “a yuppie cheese-ball”, and her own feelings. Just when she is at her lowest, trying to find a job, or earn money, Michael comes through with an offer of showing her videotapes (based on the lives of her friends) on “In Your Face TV”. All does not go as planned however, and Lelaina ends up turning to someone else for affection, as Michael seems to have made a mockery of her tapes. But, just when she thinks everything is going fine, Troy disappears.

Tagged “A comedy about love in the 90s” I think it is a bit more than that, and maybe even a little bit cult. For days afterwards when I first saw it, I would lounge around the house drinking Diet Coke, coming up with smart arsed quotes, and attempting to get everything on videotape. Reality Bites is supposed to be about four young people who have emerged into the “real” world, and don’t like what’s been handed to them. Lelaina gets fired from her job, Troy gets fired from yet another job, Vickie gets promoted, and Sammy has a difficult situation to deal with, with his parents.

It has a brilliant soundtrack featuring some classics:

- My Sharona – The Knack
- When You Come Back to Me – World Party
- Locked Out – Crowd
ed House
- Turnip Farm – Dinosaur Jr.
- Spin The Bottle – Juliana Hatfield Three
- Spinning Around Over You – Lenny Kravitz
- Bed of Roses – The Indians
- I’m Nuthin’ – Ethan Hawke
- All I Want Is You – U2
- Stay – Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
- Going Going Gone – The Posies
- Revival – Me Phi Me
- Tempted – Squeeze

This is another film I’ve picked because of the quotes - there are some really good ones in here, as well as lots of popular culture references, such as to the film Cool Hand Luke “Nobody can eat fifty eggs”, various adverts “Welcome to the Maxi Pad”, and the constant product references throughout – Diet Coke, Snickers, Camel Cigarettes etc…

Funny moments:
- Troy, Vickie and Sammy are on the couch “not inhaling” and Lelaina comes in – the dialogue is great.
- Most of Troy’s philosophical speeches

Quotes:

Troy: Did he dazzle you with his extensive knowledge of mineral water? Or was it his in-depth analysis of, uh, uh, Marky Mark that finally reeled you in?

Lelaina: Are you religious?
Michael: Um, uh, I guess uh, I guess I'm, uh a non-practicing Jew.
Lelaina: Hey, I'm a non-practicing virgin.

Lelaina: He's so cheesy, I can't watch him without crackers.


Hint: Stay watching at the end, for some funny TV moments where Evan Dando (of the band The Lemonheads) appears briefly.

The film also features a cameo by Dave Pirner (of band Soul Asylum) who dated Winona Ryder for some time. Other cameos include: Jeanne Triplehorn as Cheryl Goode (TV host on Fashion programme), David Spade as the fast food manager who interviews Ryder, Renée Zellweger as Tami, Ben Stiller’s sister is the Psychic Phone Partner, and his Mum Anne Meara, plays another of Ryder’s interviewers.


Produced by Danny DeVito, written by Helen Childress who also appears as a waitress. The video is available everywhere, and has recently been in HMV’s sale. Enjoy.

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