Episode 77 - Reality Bites

Ben Stiller's 1994 directorial debut, "Reality Bites," focuses on the lives of four repugnant Gen Xers in their early 20s who are trying desperately to figure out who they are while also trying to find love. It's kinda like one long episode of "Friends," but it takes itself way too seriously, and nobody sticks their head inside a turkey. Winona Ryder plays Lelaina Pierce, an aspiring documentary filmmaker who thinks that her friend group's day-to-day activities make for the most interesting subject matter possible. Throughout the film, we are annoyingly reminded over and over again that she was the valedictorian of her college class despite the fact that her actions demonstrate that she is of average intelligence at best. Ethan Hawke plays Troy Dyer, a pretentious college drop-out who plays in a mediocre band and lords his supposed 180 IQ over everyone he encounters. He has been in love with Winona Ryder's character for years, but he doesn't know how to express it because he has the emotional maturity of a 10-year-old. Janeane Garofalo plays Vickie Miner, a sarcastic ballbuster who uses humor and casual sex to keep people at a distance, but she is surprised and hurt when she finds herself sad and alone. She is also terrified of contracting AIDS, and we are really supposed to worry about whether or not she is going to test positive for it. Ben Stiller plays Michael Grates, a rich and successful young TV executive who everyone in the film treats like garbage because he's doing well in life. He makes the mistake of falling for Winona Ryder's character, and she ends up smashing his heart to pieces. Steve Zahn plays Sammy Gray, a non-character that they shoehorn into the movie in order to get credit for having a gay cast member because that was edgy in the '90s. Join us as we try and figure out what generation we are exactly, remember how important Gelman from "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee" was in our lives, and discuss the definition of irony.  Tell us what you think by chatting with us (@filmsnuff) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or by shooting us an email over at [email protected]. This episode is sponsored by Ponzi Meditation. Visit our website at https://www.filmsnuff.com.