X,Y, and Z: The Legacy of “Reality Bites”

It has been 25 years since his directorial debut, and Ben Stiller wants to get just one thing straight: “I just want to, maybe, apologize for the way the film fetishizes smoking,” Stiller said. Since its 1994 release, the romantic dramedy “Reality Bites” has earned a reputation as a cult classic through ironic humor, a catchy soundtrack, and a scarily accurate depiction of typical twenty-somethings. Times have changed, but the film remains relevant, a statement which was resoundingly reaffirmed by the movie’s cast and production team as they reunited at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Begging comparison to “Friends” (1994-2004) and “Melrose Place” (1992-1999), the film revolves around Lelaina Pierce (Winona Ryder), a college valedictorian and aspiring filmmaker who should be destined for success, but is sorely mistaken. She and her group of friends navigate the ups and downs of early adulthood in the ‘90s—key issues being the AIDS crisis and baby boomer disdain—as Lelaina becomes entwined in a love triangle between the frustratingly nihilistic Troy (Ethan Hawke) and borderline yuppie Michael, played by Stiller himself.

The film’s success can likely be accredited to several factors: the work of screenwriter Helen Childress, who was 20 when she began to work on the film (which was then referred to as “The Untitled Baby Busters Project”); the raw and fresh direction of Stiller, who, at the time, was solely recognized for the briefly-running “Ben Stiller Show” (1992-1993); and, perhaps the most vital component, the participatory willingness of Winona Ryder.

As the credits rolled during the festival screening, a fleeting appearance was made by singer Lisa Loeb, who performed the career-launching “Stay (I Missed You),” a breakout hit on the “Reality Bites” soundtrack. Deemed the “centerpiece” of the movie, the song was also granted an accompanying music video, which was produced by Ethan Hawke.

The score is possibly the film’s most telling ‘90s emblem, as it consists of songs that reflect entirely the decade’s emphasis on maintaining individuality. As recounted by Stacey Sher, “all of these bands, we were begging [them] to be in the film,” whereas today, the roles would likely be reversed. “It was the ‘90s,” Sher continued, “none of us wanted to sell out.” Struggle for independence aside, the carefully sought after songs are, in the simplest terms, irreplaceable. In one of the movie’s most iconic scenes, Lelaina and her friends Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) and Sammy (Steve Zahn) dance to The Knack’s “My Sharona” in a gas station, as Troy looks on with disdain. “All I Want Is You,” by U2 was a must-have for Stiller, and it is written into the film accompanying a perfectly ‘90s angst-ridden montage of Lelaina and Troy’s romantic turmoil.

In her tale of the musical copyright battle, Sher touches on the decision to set the movie in Houston, Texas, which, at the time, had a significant underground music scene. Winona Ryder’s response to Sher was, “In Houston?,” a reaction that would likely make these lesser-known musicians proud. Holding firmly to a true-to-self career was a necessity for the area’s artists; Sher mentioned that, by their own accord, none of them ever reached more widespread success.

Such values are equally present in “Reality Bites.” In a notable scene, Lelaina declines Michael’s offer to show her documentary to his production company, saying, “I made this promise to myself that I wouldn’t...unintentionally commercialize it.” With such values being present both within the film as well as outside, Shamberg, Sher, and Stiller felt that the movie should be given a platform that would simultaneously advertise it to the mainstream and prevent it from selling out. After a discouraging lack of support from brands and artists (“Michael [Shamberg] had to fly up to beg The Gap to let us use [the store] in the movie,” Sher recounts), Winona Ryder signed on and, in terms of credibility, gave the production team a toehold.

Coming off of Oscar-nominated performances in “The Age of Innocence” (1993) and “Little Women” (1994), Ryder’s enthusiasm for a project headed by the relatively-unknown Stiller was something of a shock. “Didn’t you just work with Scorsese?” Stiller exclaimed. Ryder’s reason for signing turned out to be quite simple: “I got to wear normal clothes,” she said. After it was certain that Ryder would be playing the starring role, the pieces of “Reality Bites” began to come together. Sher reminisces about preparing to fly to Ireland with rolls of film to convince U2’s Bono to let “All I Want Is You” be included in the film. Before departing, Sher got the news that Bono agreed to provide rights to the song simply because he knew Ryder.

Because of her earlier projects (Think “Beetlejuice,” “Heathers,” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”) and ahead-of-the-curve reputation, Winona Ryder had reached a level of iconically alternative status by the early ‘90s. While her participation was essential to the film’s success, Ryder herself felt indebted to the rest of the production team for giving her a platform to support a female screenwriter. Drawn in by the parallels to her own ideals and attitude, Ryder anticipated that the film would be true to ‘90s so-called counterculture.

The one unintentional consequence was that “Reality Bites” ended up being branded as a “Gen X” film. With its grungy undertones and blatant themes of nonconformity, (in her speech as valedictorian, Lelaina asks, “How can we repair all the damage we inherited?”), “Reality Bites” was an easy target for broad labels. Childress, however, simply meant to write a movie about her and her friends. “I don’t even like to say...Generation certain letter,” Winona Ryder added, who also mentioned that, when first reading the script, all she saw was an honest story about people her age. According to Janeane Garofalo, “This is Helen’s story. It doesn’t represent a ‘generation,’ it represents those people.”

If anything, the film is just as applicable to the Lelainas of today. Just as the Baby Boomers looked down upon the counterculture of the ‘90s, Gen-Xers expressed disdain for millenials, as millenials did in turn for Generation Z. Judging by the turnout at the anniversary screening, “Reality Bites” serves as a common ground for the young adults of both the nineties and today. “One of my favorite experiences associated with the movie would be...watching the movie today with this audience,” Ben Stiller said. “We’re all having this one experience here, not one else is going to experience it.”