Rating: 
Summary: Yes, Reality Bites Sometimes
Review: "Reality Bites" stars Oscar nominees Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, plus Ben Stiller, Jeneane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn. Ben Stiller makes his fine directorial debut in this film. This is a great coming-of-age comedy proving that being independant isn't as great as it looks. The plot of four college graduates moving into a house together is highly entertaining, especially considering all four people have opposite personalities. All of them combined as one adds lots of laughs: a college valedictorian, a sexually active person, a non-motivated rocker, and a mellow person hiding a secret. Comedy and drama combine in the perfect scenes, namely everyone's life struggles, the making of the documentary, and falling in love. Though certain life aspects could have been expressed more thoroughly, the film ideas are brilliant. The acting from all the performers are great, especially Winona Ryder. All offer their own movie theme perspectives, which are mastered greatly. "Reality Bites" is a great memory flashback from a great entertainment era, the mid-90's. This will surely entertain many audiences.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, Reality Bites Sometimes
Review: "Reality Bites" stars Oscar nominees Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, plus Ben Stiller, Jeneane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn. Ben Stiller makes his fine directorial debut in this film. This is a great coming-of-age comedy proving that being independant isn't as great as it looks. The plot of four college graduates moving into a house together is highly entertaining, especially considering all four people have opposite personalities. All of them combined as one adds lots of laughs: a college valedictorian, a sexually active person, a non-motivated rocker, and a mellow person hiding a secret. Comedy and drama combine in the perfect scenes, namely everyone's life struggles, the making of the documentary, and falling in love. Though certain life aspects could have been expressed more thoroughly, the film ideas are brilliant. The acting from all the performers are great, especially Winona Ryder. All offer their own movie theme perspectives, which are mastered greatly. "Reality Bites" is a great memory flashback from a great entertainment era, the mid-90's. This will surely entertain many audiences.
Rating:
Summary: Talkin' 'bout My Generation?
Review: As a member of the much maligned generation X, the 90's was a decade filled with movies that, supposedly spoke to me and mine. It's hard to believe that Reality Bites is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2004. While I wouldn't exactly say that the film defined a generation, I did recognize people I knew in the movie, and perhaps even a bit of myself at that time in my life.
Lelaina Pierce (Winona Ryder) faces life after college, using a video documentary about her confused and drifting friends to advance her ambitions in the entertainment industry. When her boss, video executive Michael Grates (Ben Stiller) becomes romantically interested in her, she is forced to choose between her slacker boyfriend Troy (Ethan Hawke) and the big cruel world of adulthood lurking ahead of her. Lelainia seeks the advice of her roommate Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), only to discover that, she is as confused as she is...if not moreso.
Making his directorial debut, co-star Ben Stiller, captured the uncertainity everyone feels at different turning points in life. In this case, the "now what" feeling after college, comes through loud and clear. Ryder is pitch perfect in her role here. Hawke is slacker defined and Stiller plays "stability" quite well--something his later career isn't known for all that much. The main problem that I have with the film, is the script by Helen Childress, which at times can be a tad predictible.
The anniversary edition boasts remastered picture and sound over the film only version DVD released some time ago. The extras include a pretty solid audio commentary with Stiller and Childress. As you might imagine though, it's Stiller that makes the track what it is. The deleted scenes, complete with an introduction from Stiller are OK, but were wisely cut from the film. By far the best part of the bonus material, had to be the retrospective feturette and interviews with cast/crew. Reality Bites has also has a decent soundtrack, represented on the disc by an interview with recording artist Lisa Loeb, as well as her music video for the song "Stay" heard in the film. The theatical trailer tops off the disc.
Reality Bites is an enjoyable look at life after college. Made that way, thanks to its cast and first time director
Rating: 
Summary: I Loved this Movie!
Review: I Loved this movie! It had everything: comedy, realism, and the ability to make you laugh and cry. The acting is superb. Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Zahn and Ben Stiller are excellent.
Lelaina Pierce (Ryder) is the valedoctorian of her college and should have her entire life mapped out for her, but all she has is a job at a morning talk show called 'Good Morning Grant' where she makes barely enough money to cover her rent. (For all those Frasier fans out there Grant is well acted by John Mahoney who plays Frasier's father on the show.) Her best friend Vickie (Garofalo) has just been promoted to manager at the Gap, and her other friend Sammy (Zahn) is coming to terms with his sexuality. Troy (Hawke) is her other troubled best friend who is the lead singer of a band and is in love with Lelaina. Lelaina videotapes all her friends making a documentary about their lives and their troubles, and she meets a guy named Michael (Stiller) who she begins dating, and who wants to turn her documentary into a television show for the network he works for called In Your Face TV.
The movie has a plot that appears so simple, yet it applies to everyone everywhere. It tries to answer the question: what to do when you just get out of college and where should life go?
Lelaina is also trapped in a love triangle and has to decide who she wants to be with more: Hawke, her closest friend or Stiller (who makes an excellent directorial debut), someone who loves Lelaina but also wants to profit from her documentary.
There are cameos from actors such as Renee Zellweiger, David Spade, and Swoozie Kurtz (who plays Lelaina's mother in one scene).
This film is one of my favorite movies of all time and is one that should be more well-known. It also has a fiere soundtrack, featuring artists like the Knack (Sharona), and Lisa Loeb, so I highly suggest you buy that as well.
"There's no point to all of this. It's just a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know... a quarter-pounder with chesse, those are good, the sky before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter becomes a cackle... and I, I sit back and smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt..."-Troy from Reality Bites...
SO BUY THE MOVIE!
Rating:
Summary: Criticized for originality
Review: I read the very lengthy review that I saw first, and I must say I was appalled. I don't know if your from a different generation, thats fine, but no need to criticize the generations that follow. This has been one of my favorite movies for years. We find Winona Ryder, valevictorian of her university working as an assistant for a cocky talk show host. Finally she retaliates against her position working for the man when she is overqualified for the job. Janeane Garofalo, however, is the hippy of the movie. She enjoys 70's music, and 70's apparel, working at the Gap. Ethan Hawke is a genuis who feels that anything he does is almost a waste of his time until he gets a family wake up call. Steve Zahn is a man who is coming to terms with his sexuality. This is not a movie of losers, this is four people graduating from college, and dealing with the problems in life. Everything is scary once you graduate, and your parents give you the freedom to go without any more assistance. I think this was a great movie with a great soundtrack and an excellent cast getting their start.
Rating: 
Summary: Indeed, Reality Bites
Review: If this is the generation I am supposed to belong to, I want to disown it. Ben Stiller's directorial debut centers on four friends recently graduated from collage, and are now trying to find their way in the world. The movies messege is that we are a lost generation, but that is not are parent's fault (where this movie tries to lay the blame). The kids in this movie are just lazy, more or less. And they spend their free time trying to make meaning out of their lives. Indeed, Troy (Ethan Hawke) even tries to ratinalize stealing a candy bar by saying society ows him. Winona Ryder plays waify Lelina, who makes a documentry out of recorded footage she has of her friends. One day she meets Michael (Ben Stiller) who is their age but has made a good career out of the TV industry. Ethan hates him for his honest approach to life, and so the battle for Lelina's love begins. I really wasn't too impressed with this movie, it just made it seem like my peers are just wallowing in self pity for the sake of being the cool, tortured artist; when they should get off the couch and go get a job.
Rating:
Summary: Reality Does Bite, but This Movie Rocks
Review: In what was perhaps one of the most overhyped movies at the time, "Reality Bites" proves to be in the Zeitgeist of the mid- '90s but for different reasons than you might thing.It was not the movie that came to define a generation in story, tone, or soundtrack the way "The Graduate" captured the moments of its time (for that you should watch "Singles"). "Reality Bites" did, however, capture the what was expected of the generation - to be unemployed, irrevent, speak in a pop-culture lingo, and wrestle with the meaning of irony. In spite of what expectations were placed on the generation (or the movie), "Reality Bites" remains funny ten years later. Watch to see the last of Winona Ryder's great roles as she struggles with her relationship with Ethan Hawke. Enjoy the moment when we are introduced to Janeane Garofalo as she shimmies to "My Sharona." And enjoy the film that brought Ben Stiller into the mainstream as a leading actor. The anniversary DVD is a great opportunity to rediscover the movie and appreciate the on-screen appearences of up and coming Gen-X Hollwood - David Spade, Renee Zellweger, and Steve Zahn all appear. And be sure to check out Lisa Loeb's music video for "Stay," as directed by Hawke.
Rating:
Summary: A really good movie
Review: Reality Bites is a look at the lives of a group of 20-somethings after they graduate college and begin their lives. Lelaina is valedictorian of her class, but she is stuck in a dead-end job at a tv station. Meanwhile, she makes a documentary of her and her friend's lives, taking an often very personal look at what each of them is like. Soon she meets Michael, an up and coming businessman who isn't well liked by her friend Troy, a poetic and intelligent man who lacks the motivation to find a real job. What results is a strange love triangle as Lelaina tries to find out who she really is and what she needs. What is really great about this movie is the strong cast that includes Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Ben Stiller. You can relate to Ryder's character of Lelaina, trying to find herself in a crazy world that won't grant you any favors. I highly recommend this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Favorite Romantic Comedy of the 90's
Review: The first time I saw this movie was on HBO. But then I had gotten it on video and now DVD. It's timeless and still fits into today's culture. Since the 90's of course wasn't that too long ago. Winona Ryder who plays college graduate Lelaina Pierce who likes to make documentaries. She is making a documentary of her friends who are played by: Ethan Hawke (Troy), the funny Janeane Garofalo (Vickie), Steve Zahn (Sammy), and Ben Stiller (Michael). Each of them goes through their own troubles Troy's father is suffering from Cancer and is dying, Vickie worries that she might have AIDS, Sammy is struggling to tell his parents that he's gay...and Lelania is stuck in the middle of a love triangle between Michael and Troy. It's realistic thrown in with great comedy and a great cast and storyline. Not to mention it has a great soundtrack. (You may also try to see if you can spot another upcoming star Renee Zellweger in the movie :). The DVD in itself is a great buy. It is in a widescreen format. And has theatrical trailers, and also production notes of the movie. If your a fan of the movie this is the DVD for you.
Rating:
Summary: Rite of Passage Film
Review: This film is a "must see" for anyone who has passed through their twenties. You don't have to be a gen x'er to appreciate it. Life should be like this when you are 20 something. Being 20 something in the 70's, I can appreciate the "drugs, sex and rock and roll" feel of the film. Good character development--I especially appreciated Hawke's "slacker" character. Well done. I've known and appreciated many "slackers" that are now successful social advocates. On on!
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