Reality Bites

This film was one of the more mainstream offerings in the array of films that emphasized the overly hyped "Generation X" phenomenon, a list that ranges from Slacker to Singles and includes a host of other films. Winona Ryder stars as Lelaina, a recent college graduate. Out on her own and independent ...more

Although it was unfairly derided for its perceived commodification of the grunge/slacker zeitgeist, Reality Bites is actually a rather charming if conventional film that uses its mid-'90s trappings -- AIDS tests, espresso shops, unwashed hair, '70s TV trivia, and so-so alt-rock -- as a backdrop for coming-of-age melodrama and romantic comedy. The screenplay contains some pretty sharp writing from first-time scribe Helen Childress and a stellar cast highlighted by Janeane Garafolo and Ben ...more