Film Review: Reality Bites (1994) C

Date Viewed: 1/11/08
Venue: HDNet

Let me just go on record here: I hate Generation X. I hate the whining, the complaining, the blaming of parents, the lazy questioning of authority, the constant references to Schoolhouse Rock, all of it. Born in '77, I fall right on the hazy dividing line between Generations X and Y, meaning I am a man without country. However, growing up and being a teenager in the early 90s meant succumbing to Generation X. The movies (Reality Bites, Singles), the music (Nirvana), the fashion (flannel), and even the unfocused malaise.

Which brings us to 1994's Reality Bites, starring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Steve Zahn, Ben Stiller (who also directed), and Janeane Garofalo (barf), a group of recent college grads who must find themselves and their purpose in the big bad real world. Ryder plays Lelaina, a free-spirit who's embarrassed by her father's wealth, Hawke is Troy, resident bad boy with no plans in life, only angry philosophical platitudes. And Stiller is the conforming yuppie who has effectively 'sold-out.'

Reality Bites tries to pass itself off as a comedic love story for the 90s, as LeLaina has a flirtatious relationship with the smoldering Troy, but winds up dating Michael (Stiller) for much of the movie. The problem with this are twofold, one, the comedy simply isn't that strong (as if it doesn't go far enough, see Clerks, or hell, even "Beavis & Butt-Head" for fearless Gen-X comedy), and the love story fails because LeLaina is such a enormously passive character. Troy is the only interesting character here, and he vanishes for much of the movie.

Bites does a much better job painting an overall vibe for Gen-X (besides all the normal Gen-X stereotypes, we get a (barfily) promiscous character who's major purpose in the film is to GET TESTED FOR AIDS, and a "Real World"-esque show) than it does telling a story, but even still it falls flat by not going far enough. Maybe worth it just for the trip down memory lane, but otherwise...yawn.