• Reality Bites (1994)

    After college, Lelaina (Winona Ryder) films a documentary about herself and friends as they flounder in their attempts to forge relationships and begin careers. Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) works retail, has an endless string of one-night stands and awaits the results of her HIV test. Sammy (Steve Zahn) tries to come out to his parents. Lelaina gets involved with yuppie Michael (Ben Stiller) while maintaining a love-hate relationship with Troy (Ethan Hawke), who's undergoing an existential crisis.

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Reality Bites
67
metacriticBased on 26 Critics
83
Based on 4 Users

Release Date: February 18th, 1994

DVD Release Date: July 22nd, 1998

PG-13 |1 hr 38 min

Plot Summary

After college, Lelaina (Winona Ryder) films a documentary about herself and friends as they flounder in their attempts to forge relationships and begin careers. Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) works retail, has an endless string of one-night stands and awaits the results of her HIV test. Sammy (Steve Zahn) tries to come out to his parents. Lelaina gets involved with yuppie Michael (Ben Stiller) while maintaining a love-hate relationship with Troy (Ethan Hawke), who's undergoing an existential crisis.

Cast: Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Zahn, Swoosie Kurtz, Joe Don Baker, John Mahoney

Director: Ben Stiller

Genres: Drama

Production Co: Jersey Films, Universal Pictures

Distributors: United International Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Argentina Video Home

Keywords: Love, Bar, Love triangle, Friendship, Growing up, Witty, House, Engaging, 1990s, Friend, Transformation, Office

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 88
    Rene RodriguezMiami Herald

    The movie ultimately plays as a dead-on snapshot of the much-maligned post-Baby Boomer generation. In 10 years, Reality Bites might seem dated and irrelevant. Right now, it feels remarkably astute. [18 Feb 1994, p.G5]

  • 100
    Edward GuthmannSan Francisco Chronicle

    The great thing about Reality Bites is that each of the characters comes across as real, and not some glib concoction by a screenwriter who's watched them from a cloistered distance. Childress obviously knows their world inside out, and shares it with insight and a prickly, original wit. [18 Feb 1994, p.C1]

  • 75
    Carrie RickeyPhiladelphia Inquirer

    Sneakily funny and hopelessly romantic, Reality Bites speaks with the distinctive, ironic voice that marks it as The Graduate of Generation X. [18 Feb 1994, p.03]

See all critic reviews on metacritic.com