Film Review: Reality Bites

Director: Ben Stiller

The directorial debut of Ben Stiller occurred way back in 1994 with a romantic comedy that is so incredibly 90's in its filming, style and dialogue. It has a very mid-90's MTV look about it. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but it gives it a real dated quality that is often quite divisive among fans and critics alike. Instead of looking at the carefree days of high school or college it looks at the hard life faced by graduates after they leave education and join the working world.

The film focuses on four friends who end up living in the same apartment for various reasons. Troy (Ethan Hawke) who is a layabout with delusions of grandeur, Lelaina (Winona Ryder) who wants to be a film maker but has a complicated relationship with Troy, Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) who embarks on a a string of one-night stands but then worries about the possibility of AIDS and Sammy (Steve Zahn) who is gay but won't start a relationship until he comes out to his parents. The main focus of the film is on Lelaina's attempts to get her film on the group shown on TV after she meets Michael Grates (Ben Stiller) as well as the relationship the two try to have.

Sammy, Lelaina, Vickie and Troy

Despite the aged look of the film, it is still an easy to watch film and enjoyable at times. The group have a great rapport between them which gives it a very genuine quality and you can feel the characters get under each others skin especially with Troy and Lelaina. Unfortunately the film seems to have a bigger message on weightier topics like AIDS etc that is just washed away by the romantic elements of the plot. The ending to the film is possibly touching but the end to the romantic story line is more a case of bad triumphing over good.

2/4 Fun film but wishes it was more