Reality Bites
Directed by Ben Stiller
Written by Helen Childress
Featuring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller
Reviewed by Peter Meredith
Long time friends Lelaina and Troy (Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke) graduate from college and enter the big wide world of hardship, unemployment and love. There is an ongoing battle of wits between them, which suggests they harbour a secret love for one another, which they dare not reveal for fear of ruining the friendship.
Enter the aptly named Michael Grates (Ben Stiller), a yuppie, who represents the lingering smell of the '80s in the world of '90s love. He and Lelaina begin a short affair, much to the chagrin of Troy, who, of course, does not love her. Sarcasm and bitter confrontations ensue, eventually leading to a fairly predictable conclusion.
That this "friends in love" theme has been filmed often and more successfully in the past is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that Reality Bites could have been so much better.
Ryder's performance is bland, and Stiller has a stiffness about him which makes his character seem one-dimensional. The stand-out is Ethan Hawke, who plays the slightly confused Troy to perfection.
The screenplay by Helen Childress is, at times, touching and amusing. Although she seems to have wanted to vent her spleen at all the world's ills first time around, taking pot shots at some very obvious targets, she has created characters who are very real, very human and about whom the audience can care deeply.
However, Ben Stiller's dull direction renders the script's most poignant moments strangely uninvolving. Some potentially beautiful scenes have been robbed of their romance. The sweet script and Hawke's fine performance combine to make Reality Bites an enjoyable, though flawed, piece of entertainment. See it with the friend you haven't told.