Content deleted Content added
Grammarbot (talk | contribs) m Removed space before comma. I am a bot. Please revert my change if it was incorrect. I will notice automatically. |
m Replace Germany4 with Germany (bot) |
||
| (688 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|1994 film by Ben Stiller}}
{{About|the film|the television series|Reality Bites (TV series)|the ''The Simpsons'' episode|Realty Bites}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Reality Bites
| image = Realitybitesposter.jpg
| alt = A man in a blue suit, a short-haired girl in a red dress, a young man in casually dressed. Graffiti on the wall behind them.
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Ben Stiller]]
| producer = [[Danny DeVito]]<br />[[Michael Shamberg]]
| writer = Helen Childress
| starring = {{Plain list |
* [[Winona Ryder]]
* [[Ethan Hawke]]
* Ben Stiller
* [[Janeane Garofalo]]
* [[Swoosie Kurtz]]
* [[Joe Don Baker]]
* [[John Mahoney]]<!--NAMES ON THE FILM POSTER ONLY-->
}}
| music = [[Karl Wallinger]]
| cinematography = [[Emmanuel Lubezki]]
| editing = [[Lisa Zeno Churgin|Lisa Churgin]]
| studio = [[Jersey Films]]
| distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1994|01|28|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]<ref name="Byrge" />|1994|02|18}}
| runtime = 99 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 99:00 --><ref>{{cite web|title=''REALITY BITES'' (12)|url= http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF064907/ |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130419204116/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF064907/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= April 19, 2013 |work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=1994-03-16|access-date=2012-10-02}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $11.5 million<ref name="kolson" />
| gross = $41 million<ref name=gross>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=17 February 1997|page=18|title=Selected Sundance alumni domestic vs international}}</ref>
}}
'''''Reality Bites''''' is a 1994 American [[Romance film|romantic]] [[comedy-drama]] film written by Helen Childress and directed by [[Ben Stiller]] in his feature directorial debut. It stars [[Winona Ryder]], [[Ethan Hawke]], and Stiller, with supporting roles by [[Janeane Garofalo]] and [[Steve Zahn]]. The film follows an aspiring [[videography|videographer]], working on a documentary about the disenchanted lives of her friends and roommates.
Childress wrote the initial screenplay on spec in 1990, inspired by the lives of her friends and herself during the [[Early 1990s recession in the United States|U.S. economic recession in the early 1990s]]. Stiller was hired as director in 1991, but later starred in the film after working with Childress on the final screenplay, which was completed in December 1992. The film faced production delays until Ryder committed to the project, after which Hawke and Zahn were cast. Garofalo was fired during filming but returned after Ryder stepped in on her behalf. [[Principal photography]] lasted 42 days in 1993, with filming taking place in [[Houston]] and [[Los Angeles]].
''Reality Bites'' received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of Ryder, Hawke and Garofalo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/1994-02-18/entertainment/25860369_1_helen-childress-reality-bites-troy|title=A Generation X Quartet Sinks Its Teeth Into Life|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=March 27, 2013|access-date=April 1, 2016|archive-date=March 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316235316/http://articles.philly.com/1994-02-18/entertainment/25860369_1_helen-childress-reality-bites-troy|url-status=dead}}</ref> It grossed $41 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1999/10/17/reality-is-a-gen-x-film-with-satirical-bite/|title='Reality' Is A Gen-x Film With Satirical Bite|work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=October 17, 1999|access-date=April 1, 2016|archive-date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404175819/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-10-17/entertainment/9910180191_1_lelaina-reality-bites-structure-of-reality|url-status=live}}</ref> It appeared on some critics' year-end lists for 1994 and 1995 and has since gained [[Cult film|cult status]] for its depiction of the early careers and young adult lifestyles of [[Generation X]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Janeane Garofalo Says "Reality Bites" Isn't For Gen X {{!}} Letterman | date=14 July 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCiZnFZWAyo |access-date=2024-02-18 |language=en |archive-date=2024-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218053958/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCiZnFZWAyo |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Plot==
Four friends who are recent college graduates live together in Houston, Texas. Coffeehouse guitarist Troy Dyer and budding filmmaker Lelaina Pierce are attracted to each other, although they have not acted on their feelings except for one brief, drunken encounter years ago.
Troy is floundering, having lost several minimum-wage jobs—the last of which he loses for stealing a candy bar from his employer. Lelaina was valedictorian of her university and aspires to make documentaries, although initially has to settle for a position as production assistant to a rude and obnoxious TV host.
Lelaina meets Michael Grates when throwing a lit cigarette into his convertible causes him to crash into her car. They begin dating. He works as an executive at an [[MTV]]-like channel called In Your Face, and after seeing a documentary she has been working on, wants to get it aired on his network.
Lelaina's roommate Vickie has a series of one-night stands and short relationships with dozens of men; her promiscuity leads her to face a very real risk of contracting [[HIV]] after a former fling tests positive for the virus. Working as a sales associate for [[The Gap (clothing retailer)|the Gap]], Vickie is later promoted to manager and is content with her new job. Her friend Sammy Gray is gay; he remains celibate, not due to a fear of AIDS, but because forming a relationship would force him to come out to his conservative parents.
After an impulsive act of retribution against her boss, Lelaina loses her job, which causes some tension with her roommates. Eventually, Vickie's HIV test comes back negative and Sammy comes out to his parents (and he even starts dating) and the two manage to resume their lives.
Meanwhile, Lelaina's relationship with Michael dissolves after he helps her sell the documentary to his network, only to let them edit it into a stylized montage that compromises her artistic vision. Lelaina and Troy have a heart-to-heart which leads to them sleeping together and confessing their feelings. The morning after, he avoids her, and after a messy confrontation, leaves town. When Troy's father dies, it forces him to reevaluate his life, deciding to attempt a relationship with Lelaina.
Troy and Lelaina reunite and make amends once he returns from his father's funeral in Chicago. While we do not see what happens to Michael, during the credits there is an abrupt break where two characters, "Elaina" and "Roy", who are obvious parodies of Lelaina and Troy, have an argument about their relationship. As the "show's" credits roll, Michael's name is revealed as the creator, implying that he has turned the relationship between Lelaina and Troy into the subject of a new show on his network.
==Cast==
<!--- Cast and order per tombstone opening credits, roles per closing credits scroll --->
{{Cast listing|
* [[Winona Ryder]] as Lelaina Pierce
* [[Ethan Hawke]] as Troy Dyer
* [[Ben Stiller]] as Michael Grates
* [[Janeane Garofalo]] as Vickie Miner
* [[Steve Zahn]] as Sammy Gray
* [[Swoosie Kurtz]] as Charlane McGregor
* Harry O'Reilly as Wes McGregor
* [[Barry Del Sherman]] as Grant's producer
* [[Anne Meara]] as Louise
* [[Andy Dick]] as Rock
* [[Keith David]] as Roger
* [[David Pirner]] as Phineas
* [[Evan Dando]] as Actor "Roy"
* [[Karen Duffy]] as Actor "Elaina"
* [[Joe Don Baker]] as Tom Pierce
* [[John Mahoney]] as Grant Gubler
}}
In addition to Garofalo, director Stiller gave cameos to [[Andy Dick]] (as a sleazy boss) and [[John F. O'Donohue]] (as a convenience store manager), both cast members of ''[[The Ben Stiller Show]]''. Stiller also cast fellow [[Saturday Night Live cast members|''Saturday Night Live'' alumnus]] [[David Spade]] in an uncredited appearance as the manager during Lelaina's job interview at [[Wienerschnitzel]]. Stiller's girlfriend [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]] also makes an uncredited appearance, parodying [[Cindy Crawford]] and MTV's show ''[[House of Style]]''. [[Renée Zellweger]] appears as Tami, a one-night stand of Troy's. [[Soul Asylum]]'s lead singer [[Dave Pirner]] and [[The Lemonheads]]' frontman [[Evan Dando]] also made cameos.
==Production==
=== Development ===
[[File:Ben-Stiller-(MS1411200222).jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|[[Ben Stiller]]'s work in ''[[The Ben Stiller Show]]'' gave the film's producers the trust to allow him to direct the film.]]
In 1991, producer [[Michael Shamberg]] had an idea to make a film about people in their twenties.<ref name="mcinnis">{{cite news | last = McInnis | first = Kathleen | title = Ben Stiller Bytes | work = MovieMaker | date = March 1, 1994 | url = http://www.moviemaker.com/directing/article/ben_stiller_reality_bites_interview_20080807/ | access-date = 2009-03-05 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090406193918/http://www.moviemaker.com/directing/article/ben_stiller_reality_bites_interview_20080807/ | archive-date = April 6, 2009 }}</ref> He had read a screenplay entitled ''Blue Bayou'', written by Helen Childress on spec in 1990.<ref name="mcinnis" /> He liked it and met with her, and she proceeded to tell him about her life and friends, and their struggle to find work during a recession in the United States at the time.<ref name="Griswold">{{cite news | last = Griswold | first = Alan | title = ''Reality Bites'': Retrospective | work = Reality Bites: 10th Anniversary Edition DVD | publisher = [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] | year = 2003 }}</ref> For three years, she wrote and rewrote ''Reality Bites'', generating 70 different drafts. Childress decided to use her friends, their personalities and experiences as the basis for her film.<ref name="paatsch">{{cite news | last = Paatsch | first = Leigh | title = Reality Takes a Bite Out of Writer's Life | work = The Age | date = June 24, 1994 }}</ref>
The film's producers saw the pilot episode for ''[[The Ben Stiller Show]]'' and approached Stiller to direct it, but not act in it.<ref name="Griswold" /> He signed on to direct in 1992 and worked with Childress for nine to ten months developing the script.<ref name="kolson">{{cite news | last = Kolson | first = Ann | title = In the Family Tradition | work = [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date = February 20, 1994 }}</ref> Initially, Childress, working with producer [[Stacey Sher]], had figured out the characters of Lelaina and Troy, but could not come up with a credible character to complete the love triangle. Stiller suggested that he could play that third person.<ref name="Griswold" /> As a result, the Michael character changed from a 35-year-old advertising executive trying to market Japanese candy bars in America to a television executive in his twenties.<ref name="kolson" /> They also changed the structure of the film. Originally, Vickie, Sammy and Troy had more fleshed out storylines, but Stiller felt that he could not tell them fully and decided to focus on the relationship between Lelaina and Troy.<ref name="mcinnis" />
By December 1992, Childress and Stiller had a script that was ready to be filmed for [[TriStar Pictures]],<ref name="mcinnis" /> but the studio put it into [[Turnaround (filmmaking)|turnaround]]. Sher, Stiller and Childress managed to convince the Film Commission of Texas to fund a [[___location scouting]] trip to [[Houston]], despite no studio backing, no budget and no cast.<ref name="Griswold" /> The film had been turned down by all Hollywood studios because it tried to capture the Generation X market like ''[[Singles (1992 film)|Singles]]'', which was not a box office success.<ref name="kolson" /> When Sher, Stiller and Childress arrived in Houston, they received a phone call informing them that [[Winona Ryder]] had read the script, wanted to do it and that [[Universal Pictures]] had agreed to finance the film.<ref name="Griswold" />
[[File:TranquilityparkHouston2.JPG|alt=|thumb|left|upright|The film's exteriors were shot primarily in [[Houston]], including [[Tranquillity Park]].]]
After completing several period pieces, Ryder was drawn to ''Reality Bites'' because she was looking "for something a little more contemporary because I really wanted to wear blue jeans for a change".<ref name="portman">{{cite news | last = Portman | first = Jamie | title = The Age of Cynicism | work = [[Ottawa Citizen]] | date = February 18, 1994 }}</ref> She read the script in one sitting while making ''[[The House of the Spirits (film)|The House of the Spirits]]'' and "found it very true to life."<ref name="Griswold" /><ref name="portman" /> She further speculated in an interview, "I think my character is very close to what I would probably have ended up as if I hadn't become an actress".<ref name="portman" /> [[Ethan Hawke]] was at this point unhappy with the direction his career was taking; the actor recalled that his career was in a lull after the buzz from ''[[Dead Poets Society]]'' had faded. Ryder was a fan of his work and stipulated in her contract that her involvement in the film was dependent on Hawke starring opposite her.<ref name="Griswold"/>
[[Janeane Garofalo]] knew Stiller from working together on ''The Ben Stiller Show'', and the film's producers felt that her style of comedy was perfect for the character of Vickie.<ref name="Griswold" /> She said that [[Parker Posey]], [[Anne Heche]], and [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] were all up for the role. The studio wanted Paltrow, but Ryder supported Garofalo for the role after making a connection with her.<ref name="Griswold" /> Before filming began, Garofalo was fired from the production because Stiller did not like her attitude during rehearsal. Garofalo was rehired after Ryder stepped in on her behalf. Garofalo stated later that she has a really poor work ethic and hates to rehearse.<ref name="Janeane Garofalo Interview">{{cite web |last=O'Neal |first=Sean |date=7 June 2007 |title=Janeane Garofalo |url=https://www.avclub.com/janeane-garofalo-1798211562 |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The A.V Club |publisher=[[The Onion]]}}</ref> Stiller met [[Steve Zahn]] through Hawke, with whom Zahn was starring in a play, and he was impressed by how funny Zahn was. The actor went to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], and tested for the film. He felt strongly about playing a gay character coming out of the closet.<ref name="Griswold"/>
According to Childress, the title of the film isn't meant to be interpreted as "reality sucks." During the run-up to the [[1992 United States presidential election]], Childress kept hearing references to "sound bites," which made her think of Lelaina's recorded vignettes of her friends as "little bites of reality."<ref name="The Atlantic">{{cite web | title='Reality Bites' Captured Gen X With Perfect Irony | website=The Atlantic | date=6 March 2019 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/03/reality-bites-captured-gen-x-25-years-later-helen-childress/583870/ | access-date=2019-03-06 | archive-date=2023-01-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101005107/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/03/reality-bites-captured-gen-x-25-years-later-helen-childress/583870/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
===Shooting===
[[Principal photography]] lasted 42 days, on a budget of $11.5 million.<ref name="kolson" /> The filmmakers shot many of the exteriors in Houston (including a scene on top of the Two Shell Plaza building), where the film is set, but most of the interiors were shot in Los Angeles, because it was cheaper to do so there.<ref name="mcinnis" /> During filming, Stiller encouraged Childress to be on ___location and talk with the actors about their characters.<ref name="Griswold" />
==Soundtrack==
[[File:LisaLoebBorders2008.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|"[[Stay (I Missed You)]]" from the film's soundtrack launched the career of singer-songwriter [[Lisa Loeb]]]]
[[File:Ethan Hawke Austin Texas.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright| Star of the film [[Ethan Hawke]], whose music also appears on the soundtrack]]
[[RCA]] met with the film's music supervisor [[Karyn Rachtman]], and Stiller, three weeks into filming, to discuss the soundtrack album.<ref name="boehlert">{{cite news | last = Boehlert | first = Eric | title = RCA Faces ''Reality'' as it Re-Enters Soundtrack Fray | magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date = February 5, 1994 }}</ref> They finalized a deal and the label opened its roster to the director, who picked only one band: [[Me Phi Me]]. RCA aggressively marketed the album and had five tracks on rotation on radio and [[MTV]].<ref name="boehlert"/> The video for [[Crowded House]]'s "Locked Out" was updated to include footage from the film. In addition, the video for "Spin the Bottle" by the [[Juliana Hatfield|Juliana Hatfield Three]] was directed by Stiller and featured clips from the film as well.<ref name="boehlert"/> The soundtrack sold 1.2 million units and reached #13 on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="miller">{{cite news | last = Miller | first = Trudi | title = ''Reality Bites'' Fuels Spate of Soundtracks for RCA | magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date = September 3, 1994 }}</ref> The album also earned a No. 1 single with [[Lisa Loeb]]'s "[[Stay (I Missed You)]]". The soundtrack peaked at number 2 in Australia and was certified platinum.<ref name="Ryan">{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|___location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia|edition=PDF|page=310}}</ref>
The film's [[soundtrack]] includes songs by [[World Party]], [[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]], [[the Knack]] (a remixed version of "[[My Sharona]]" featured prominently in one scene from the film), Juliana Hatfield, [[Social Distortion]], and two contributions from Crowded House ("Locked Out" and "Something So Strong"), in addition to the runaway hit "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb, which earned Loeb the distinction of being the first artist to top the Hot 100 before being signed to any record label and "Baby I Love Your Way" by [[Big Mountain (band)|Big Mountain]]. It also includes "Conjunction Junction" from ''[[Schoolhouse Rock!]]'', another song brought into the foreground of a film full of [[popular culture|pop culture]] references.
# "[[My Sharona]]" – [[the Knack]]
# "Spin the Bottle" – [[Juliana Hatfield|Juliana Hatfield Three]]
# "Bed of Roses" – the Indians
# "When You Come Back to Me" – [[World Party]]
# "Going, Going, Gone" – [[the Posies]]
# "[[Stay (I Missed You)]]" – [[Lisa Loeb|Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories]]
# "[[All I Want Is You (U2 song)|All I Want Is You]]" – [[U2]]
# "[[Locked Out (Crowded House song)|Locked Out]]" – [[Crowded House]]
# "Spinning Around Over You" – [[Lenny Kravitz]]
# "I'm Nuthin'" – [[Ethan Hawke]]
# "Turnip Farm" – [[Dinosaur Jr.]]
# "Revival!" – [[Me Phi Me]]
# "[[Tempted (Squeeze song)|Tempted]]" – [[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]]
# "[[Baby, I Love Your Way]]" – [[Big Mountain (band)|Big Mountain]]
'''10th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks'''
# <li value="15">"Stay (I Missed You)" (Living Room mix) – [[Lisa Loeb]]
# "[[Add It Up]]" – Ethan Hawke ([[Violent Femmes]] cover)
# "Confusion" – [[New Order (band)|New Order]]
# "Disco Inferno" – [[Trammps|The Trammps]]
# "Give a Man a Fish" – [[Arrested Development (group)|Arrested Development]]
# "Fools Like Me" – [[Lisa Loeb]]
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ Weekly chart performance for ''Reality Bites''
! scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|2|artist=Soundtrack|album=Reality Bites|rowheader=true|access-date=May 20, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Canada|12|chartid=2597|rowheader=true|access-date=May 20, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany|83|artist=Soundtrack|album=Reality Bites|id=19022|rowheader=true|access-date=May 20, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|17|artist=Soundtrack|album=Reality Bites|rowheader=true|access-date=May 20, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|35|artist=Soundtrack|album=Reality Bites|rowheader=true|access-date=May 20, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|UKComp|24|date=19940710|rowheader=true|access-date=May 22, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|13|artist=Soundtrack|rowheader=true|access-date=May 22, 2022}}
|}
{{col-2}}
===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for ''Reality Bites''
! scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1994/albums-chart|title=ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1994|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]]|access-date=May 20, 2022|archive-date=September 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922213142/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1994/albums-chart|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 31
|-
! scope="row"| Canada Top Albums/CDs (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2686&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2686.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2686 |title=RPM Top 100 Albums of 1994 |magazine=RPM |volume=60 |issue=21 |date=December 12, 1994 |page=19 |issn=0033-7064 |via=Library and Archives Canada |access-date=May 22, 2022 |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204170756/https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2686&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2686.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2686 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 52
|-
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA6 |title=The Year in Music 1994 – Top Billboard 200 Albums |magazine=Billboard |volume=106 |issue=52 |date=December 24, 1994 |page=YE-22 |issn=0006-2510 |via=[[Google Books]] |access-date=May 22, 2022 |archive-date=September 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922213206/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA6#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 40
|-
! scope="row"| US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA42-IA8 |title=The Year in Music 1994 – Top Soundtrack Albums |magazine=Billboard |volume=106 |issue=52 |date=December 24, 1994 |page=YE-68 |issn=0006-2510 |via=Google Books |access-date=June 1, 2022 |archive-date=September 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922213139/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA42-IA8#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 5
|}
{{col-end}}
===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Reality Bites''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|artist=Soundtrack|title=Reality Bites|award=Platinum|certyear=1994|relyear=1994|access-date=November 25, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Various Artists|title=Reality Bites - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|award=Platinum|certyear=1994|relyear=1994|access-date=November 25, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Soundtrack|title=Reality Bites|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=1994|relyear=1994|access-date=November 25, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
==Release==
''Reality Bites'' went through four [[test screening]]s with a fairly decent reaction,<ref name="kolson" /> before it premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in January 1994,<ref name="Byrge">{{cite news | last = Byrge | first = Duane | title = ''Reality Bites'' | work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date = January 31, 1994 | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=573 | access-date = 2008-04-11 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080503101850/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=573|archive-date = 2008-05-03}}</ref> and was theatrically released in the United States on February 18, 1994.
===Box office===
The film grossed $5.1 million in 1,149 theaters on its opening weekend.<ref name="mojo">{{cite news | title = ''Reality Bites'' (1994) | work = Box Office Mojo | publisher = IMDB | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=realitybites.htm | access-date = 2009-03-05 | archive-date = 2024-09-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240922214140/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl460162561/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Initially, ''Reality Bites'' did not perform as well at the box office as the studio had hoped. In six weeks, it grossed $18.3 million, more than the film's $11 million production budget.<ref name="rickey">{{cite news | last = Rickey | first = Carrie | title = Generation X Turns Its Back | work = [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date = April 3, 1994 }}</ref> Bruce Feldman, Universal Pictures' Vice President of Marketing, said, "The media labeled it as a Generation X picture, while we thought it was a comedy with broad appeal".<ref name="rickey" /> The studio placed advertisements during programs chosen for their appeal to 12- to 34-year-olds, and in interviews Stiller was careful not to mention the phrase, "Generation X".<ref name="rickey" /> The film went on to be a moderate hit for Universal and make $20.9 million in the United States and Canada<ref name="mojo" /> and $20 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $40.9 million.<ref name=gross/>
===Critical reception===
The film received positive reviews. Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports that 62% of 60 critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 6.1/10. The site's consensus states: "''Reality Bites'' may be too slick to fulfill its promise as a profound statement on Generation X, but an appealing ensemble and romantic sizzle make for an entertaining dive into the ennui of youth."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reality_bites/ |title= Reality Bites |work= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date= 2024-04-28 |archive-date= 2024-09-22 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240922214517/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reality_bites |url-status= live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] the film has a score of 67 out of 100 based on reviews from 26 critics.<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |title= Reality Bites |url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/reality-bites |website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= 2019-09-20 |archive-date= 2020-11-18 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201118144441/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/reality-bites |url-status= live }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>
[[File:Janeanegarofalochair.jpg|alt=|right|thumb|upright|[[Janeane Garofalo]] in 2008]]
Caryn James, in her review for ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "Like the generation it presents so appealingly, it doesn't see any point in getting all bent out of shape and overambitious. But it knows how to hang out and have a great time".<ref>{{cite news | date = February 18, 1994 | last = James | first = Caryn | title = Coming of Age in Snippets | work = [[The New York Times]] | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/18/movies/review-film-coming-of-age-in-snippets-life-as-a-twentysomething.html | access-date = 2010-04-14 | archive-date = 2013-06-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130614120650/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/18/movies/review-film-coming-of-age-in-snippets-life-as-a-twentysomething.html | url-status = live }}</ref> In his review for ''[[The Washington Post]]'', Desson Howe wrote, "By aiming specifically—and accurately—at characters in their twenties, debuting screenwriter Helen Childress and first-time director Stiller achieve something even greater: they encapsulate an era".<ref>{{cite news | date = February 18, 1994 | last = Howe | first = Desson | title = ''Reality Bites'': Age of Innocents | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/realitybitespg13howe_a0b035.htm | access-date = 2007-10-22 | archive-date = 2012-11-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121103113946/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/realitybitespg13howe_a0b035.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's [[Richard Schickel]] wrote, "the movie bobs along on this stream of funny offhandedness, never losing its balance. If it's 10 o'clock, and you want to know where your supposedly grownup children are, this is a good place to look for them".<ref>{{cite news | date = February 21, 1994 | last = Schickel | first = Richard | title = The Young and the Restive | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980197,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110122201128/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980197,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 22, 2011 | access-date = 2010-04-14}}</ref>
When asked in 2007 how well ''Reality Bites'' had aged, Janeane Garofalo replied, "I think it means a lot more to people younger than me. I was not the target audience. I was 29 playing a 21-year-old, so I don't think I understand why younger people like it."<ref name="Janeane Garofalo Interview" />
In 2013, Stiller proposed a television series sequel.<ref name="tv">{{cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/tv/article/Reality-Bites-TV-show-heads-to-Houston-4757252.php |title=''Reality Bites'' TV Show Heads to Houston |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=August 23, 2013 |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]] |access-date=October 20, 2013 |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021075848/http://www.chron.com/entertainment/tv/article/Reality-Bites-TV-show-heads-to-Houston-4757252.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2002: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions]] – Nominated<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions Nominees |access-date=2016-08-19 |archive-date=2011-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150610/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions400.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Year-end lists ===
* 4th – Scott Schuldt, ''[[The Oklahoman]]''<ref>{{cite web|last=Schuldt|first=Scott|date=January 1, 1995|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2488346/oklahoman-movie-critics-rank-their-favorites-for-the-year-without-a-doubt-blue-ribbon-goes-to-pulp-fiction-scott-says|title=Oklahoman Movie Critics Rank Their Favorites for the Year Without a Doubt, Blue Ribbon Goes to "Pulp Fiction," Scott Says|work=The Oklahoman|access-date=July 20, 2020|archive-date=July 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720075932/https://oklahoman.com/article/2488346/oklahoman-movie-critics-rank-their-favorites-for-the-year-without-a-doubt-blue-ribbon-goes-to-pulp-fiction-scott-says|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Honorable mention – [[Michael MacCambridge]], ''[[Austin American-Statesman]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=MacCambridge|first=Michael|date=December 22, 1994|title=it's a LOVE-HATE thing|newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|page=38|edition=Final}}</ref>
* Honorable mention – David Elliott, ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Elliott|first=David|date=December 25, 1994|title=On the big screen, color it a satisfying time|newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|edition=1, 2|page=E=8}}</ref>
==Lawsuit==
In 2005, the real Dyer (a film financier) sued writer Childress, producer DeVito, and director Stiller.<ref name="reporter">{{cite web|url=http://www.casp.net/california-anti-slapp-first-amendment-law-resources/caselaw/california-courts-of-appeal-cases/dyer-v-childress/ |title=Dyer v. Childress | California Anti-SLAPP Project |publisher=Casp.net |date=2003-05-01 |access-date=2013-10-20}}</ref> Dyer claimed that screenwriter Childress stated on audio commentary tracks that she wrote the story based on her actual college friends and roommates, and that he was then forced to deal with past and potential clients' "inquiries as to whether he was the fictional character" as well as internet users attributing outlandish, caustic, unprofessional and immature quotations lifted from the film’s dialogue as being ideas and jargon of his own.<ref name="reporter" /> The defendants attempted to seek shelter under California's [[Strategic lawsuit against public participation|anti-SLAPP]] statutes, but in early 2007 the appeals court denied them SLAPP protection.<ref name="reporter" /> The suit was quickly settled after Dyer received a written document from Childress stating he was not the person portrayed in the film.<ref name="document">{{cite web |url=http://genevamediaholdings.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/7/8/12783001/childress_statement.jpg |title=Facebook |publisher=Facebook |access-date=2013-10-20 |archive-date=2016-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104011148/http://genevamediaholdings.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/7/8/12783001/childress_statement.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Television series==
In May 2022, it was reported that a television series adaptation of the film is in the works at [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] with Childress, DeVito, [[Jenna Bans]], [[Michael Shamberg]], [[Stacey Sher]] and Casey Kyber serving as executive producers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cordero|first=Rosy|title='Reality Bites' Series In Development At Peacock|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/reality-bites-series-development-peacock-1235022815/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=May 12, 2022|access-date=May 15, 2022|archive-date=May 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516022321/https://deadline.com/2022/05/reality-bites-series-development-peacock-1235022815/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0110950}}
* {{Mojo title|realitybites}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|reality_bites}}
* [https://texasarchive.org/2013_03892 Reality Bites: Interview with Ben Stiller (1993)], [[Texas Archive of the Moving Image]]
{{Ben Stiller}}
{{Danny DeVito}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reality Bites}}
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1994 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1994 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:1994 romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ben Stiller]]
[[Category:Films produced by Danny DeVito]]
[[Category:Films produced by Michael Shamberg]]
[[Category:Films set in Houston]]
[[Category:Films shot in Houston]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Works subject to a lawsuit]]
| |||