Reality Bites

Reality Bites follows four friends who have just finished college and are discovering that adult life is harder than they expected. Set in Houston in 1994, it centres on Lelaina Pierce, who works as an assistant on a television programme while dreaming of making films of her own. She records a documentary about her friends, including Troy, a talented but aimless musician, her roommate Vickie, and Sammy, who is struggling with how to come out to his parents. When Lelaina begins a relationship with Michael, an ambitious television producer, her already complicated bond with Troy is pushed toward a reckoning. The film is a comedy-drama about work, money and the gap between expectation and reality.

The film was directed by Ben Stiller, the first feature he directed, from a screenplay by Helen Childress, and produced by Danny DeVito and Michael Shamberg. Winona Ryder plays Lelaina, with Ethan Hawke as Troy, Janeane Garofalo as Vickie, Steve Zahn as Sammy and Stiller himself as Michael; Swoosie Kurtz also appears. It had a budget of 12 million dollars and took about 33 million dollars worldwide, a solid return on its cost.

On IMDb it holds 6.6 out of 10 from around 57,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.5 out of 10 from roughly 818 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 6.1 out of 10 from 60 reviews. Audience and critical responses are therefore close to each other, placing the film in modestly favourable territory rather than at either extreme.