Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Winona Ryder | ... | Lelaina Pierce | |
Ethan Hawke | ... | Troy Dyer | |
Janeane Garofalo | ... | Vickie Miner | |
Steve Zahn | ... | Sammy Gray | |
Ben Stiller | ... | Michael Grates | |
Swoosie Kurtz | ... | Charlane McGregor | |
![]() |
Harry O'Reilly | ... | Wes McGregor |
![]() |
Susan Norfleet | ... | Helen Anne Pierce |
Joe Don Baker | ... | Tom Pierce | |
Renée Zellweger | ... | Tami (as Renee Zellweger) | |
![]() |
James Rothenberg | ... | Rick |
John Mahoney | ... | Grant Gubler | |
![]() |
Eric Morgan Stuart | ... | Damien (as Eric Stuart) |
Barry Del Sherman | ... | Grant's Producer (as Barry Sherman) | |
Chelsea Lagos | ... | Troy Groupie |
In this study of Generation X manners, Lelaina Pierce (Winona Ryder), the valedictorian of her college class, camcords her friends in a mock documentary of posteducation life. Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke) is her best friend, a perpetually unemployed musical slacker. Vickie Miner (Janeane Garofalo) is a manager at the Gap who worries about the results of an A.I.D.S. test, while Sammy Gray (Steve Zahn) has problems grappling with his sexuality. When Lelaina meets Michael Grates (Ben Stiller), an earnest video executive who takes her homemade video to his MTV-like station, she must decide what she values - the materialism of yuppie Michael or the philosophical musings of Troy. Written by Rick Gregory <rag.apa@email.apa.org>
Reality Bites is a movie I can currently relate with, as I have been recently suffering through post-college trauma. The movie has such a relatable premise, but I feel it could have been just a little better. But watching the movie provided me with the feeling that I am not alone in this ordeal. The movie was written pretty well and this is Ben Stiller's directorial debut, so a movie like this is not a bad way to begin a directing career.
Stiller's film is about a TV production assistant named Lelaina who is creating a documentary about post-grad life with her three friends: Troy who is a philosophical unemployed slacker, Vicki who is the manager of Gap, and Sammy who is trying to find his sexuality. When she meets Michael, an executive at an MTV-like studio, there is a chance her documentary can now go public.
The film is reasonably acted. Winona Ryder does a pretty good job as Lelaina, even if she seems a little whiny. I liked Ethan Hawke's character as his philosophy reminded of his character in the Before Sunrise series. Ben Stiller had a limited role, but he did a solid job. I also like Steve Zahn as the man trying to find out who he is.
Overall, Reality Bites is a decent movie because mainly it has a theme that people my age can relate to. The path to show this theme may not work as effective, but the movie was still mostly entertaining. I will say that the documentary shots got a little annoying at times, but the narrative itself is quite good.
My Grade: B