twhiteson "Reality Bites" was a trumped-up MTV-like production about characters who are nothing more than Generation X stereotypes: unemployed or underemployed, college grad "slackers" with encyclopedic knowledge of 1970's pop culture. Essentially, it's a 99 minute dramatized "Real Word" episode about four friends who struggle with their post college lives. However, two of the characters (Janeane Garafolo and Steve Zahn) are so underdeveloped that they could have been dropped from the film. The film focuses almost entirely on "Lelaina" (an extremely pretty Winona Ryder) and "Troy" (Ethan Hawke) whose "friends-to-possible lovers" relationship develops into a bewildering love triangle when TV executive "Michael" (Ben Stiller who also directed) enters the scene and makes a play for Lelaina."Reality Bites" has a trite plot which is additionally hurt by its thoroughly unlikable characters especially Mr. Hawke's contemptible Troy. Scuzzy, manipulative, mooching, arrogant, and conceited and those are Troy's good traits! An unemployed philosophy major who plays guitar in a bad grunge band, Troy is played-up as the archetypal 1990's hipster-slacker who has taken hardened stances against getting a job and washing his hair. And when confronted by the kind and responsible Michael as a rival for Lelaina's affections, he oozes his contempt for "corporate America" (ie anyone who has a job). In other words, he's a complete jerk!The love triangle here makes no sense other than maybe to the prove to so-called "Nice Guys" everywhere that good looking women actually do prefer arrogant, d-bag creeps just because they're arrogant, d-bag creeps.The mystery of this film has always been: are we actually supposed to like and admire Troy? It made no sense in 1994 and even less today. My only theory is that Ben Stiller, overwhelmed by his directing duties, played Michael as too much of a decent man rather than the shallow "suit" that the screenplay probably required. But a shallow "suit" would STILL be preferable to Troy!In sum: it really is a case of "nice guys finishing last" as Troy walks-off with the ditzy and shallow Lelaina at film's end. Yet, as another reviewer put it nicely, she didn't deserve Michael if she thinks a relationship with a sleazy leech like Troy is going to lead to anything but heartbreak.(One side note: it's clear that Ethan Hawke thought Troy was pretty cool because he stayed in character as him for the next 15 years.)

oiltrader Winona was great.Ben was average, directing was decent.Steve and Jan were barely there.And Ethan was a complete failure. He is the pivot point that does not turn.There is no poignancy to this narrative.There is nothin funny about this movie. 'Nuff said.

g-bodyl 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

zoroastre -- SPOILER -- When Lelaine comes back angry and disappointed from the "premier" of her show and Troy declares his love and they have sex, I had an uneasy feeling, the scene is presented as romantic with romantic lighting, romantic guitar, etc. (and I bet many people probably taught "how sweet"), but basically this is a scene where a person in a momentary state of weakness is emotionally pushed to do something.Now I don't say this scene depicts a full fledge SA, neither that the Troy character is "bad" (you don't have to have "bad" intentions to do regrettable things), nor that this kind of situation is not realistic (cause it is)... what bothered me the most I think was the choice of music, it should probably have been more dissonant, not some mellow mushy guitar.am I the only one ill-at-ease with this scene? Sorry for any misspell, English is my second language.