MovieChat Forums > Reality Bites (1994) Discussion > Is there a Generation 2000s movie?

Is there a Generation 2000s movie?

posted 19 years ago by winonaforever2
167 replies | jump to latest

Hi everyone. Reality Bites was considered as the movie most representative of the so-called Generation X. What I want to know is if you think that Generation X has already gone and if there's another term to define the young people of the 2000s, and if there's a movie that portrays all that.
I was born at the beginning of the 1980s so I don't think I quite fit in the Generation X group. I read once in a magazine that we were the Generation Y, but I don't like that since that term comes just because Y goes after X. Although it is difficult to find a film representative of that, which one do you think could be it? or at least that portrays in a generous or serious way how young people of the 2000s act. I would say Garden State maybe(?), but it didn't have all the reception that Reality Bites had. Are there any more movies? Thanks.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] skapunkpopemogal 18 years ago

i think reality bites is a movie for the y generation. i can relate to every single scene in that movie today still. even if the culture references aren't as up to date, the movie and the overall premisis is kind of timeless. i feel like a lot of the movies of that error are timeless even. clerks, mallrats, good will hunting,(yeah i have a hard on for kevin smith productions) empire records, and slc punk just to name a few. i think the closest thing to a movie specifically for our generation is garden state, but more for the depiction of romance today than any culture desensitation remarks. i think can't hardly wait is a good example for the high school crowd, however, it doesn't really stand true past the final high school throw down. as for some of the other suggestions...i don't really get those, but different strokes for different folks i guess. i honestly think a lot of the movies from the early 90's are the best cultural depiction of today's generation as well, and that a lot of people our age don't really know how to define themselves, and don't have the drive or creativy to make good movies that can kind of define a generation like reality bites did. but garden state is the closest by far.

[–] sneakermusic 18 years ago

i was born in 78....so maybe the last of the gen x
im not sure what the later gen x film would be....maybe trainspotting for uk kids. it is set in the 80's but was very much of the spirit in the country right at that time...thats my pick for the uk.
but fight club in the more general sence.

[–] HagenDas 18 years ago

Igby goes down

Is another really great one

[–] liveshell 18 years ago

I was born in 1985, too me the idea of defining a generation seems like a sweeping generalisation in itself, all anyone could ever really do is capture the fashions and populer thought paterns of the time, and theres very few films that seem to do that for my generation, ive seen garden state mentioned quite a few times in here and allthough i thought the movie was quite insightful i thinks its really a personal story and no were near broad or sweeping enough to sum up the modern era. oh and whoever said american pie seriusly dude get a life:-)
alot has been said about how this generation is lazy and expects everything to be given to them on a plate, i think theres definatly some truth in that idea, but that in itself doesnt mean were a stupid generation, i myself have taken sometime to come to terms with the fact that getting anywere in life takes hard work but i have slowly learned this and im still learning it. i cant think of many recent films were the charactors start out lazy and self interested and slowly learn the value of hard work and self secrifice.
i think this generation has access to more information than any other in history through things like the internet and this has lead to things like fashion and peoples music tastes being very eclectic, fashion today is a mishmash of pretty much everything that has come before us.
from this laptop alone i have free access to nearly every populer peice of music or film ever made and the ability to see the most vile acts mankind is capable of, or the most incredible achievements we have made, but what i think most people tend to forget is were only seeing them were not really doing anything except sitting on are couches and observing and judging. so are frame of reference is unmatched by anyone that has come before but are life experiance is often somewhat patheticly small. i think the next crucial step for this generation is to take all that we have seen and all that we can see and apply it turn it into something of are own, as far as i can see that hasnt happened yet but i have no doubt that it will.
we've got a hell of a lot more information to take in but eventually we will stop observing and start doing.
we might seem inactive but so do volcanos, to be fair most of us havent even grown up and strechted are wings yet.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] MeanCreekfan 18 years ago

I haven't seen any movies good enough that have come out in the past 6 years that even compare to how relevant Reality Bites was. But if I had to pick, I'd say Dawson's Creek. Though it's a tv show and it start in late 1997/early 1998, I think it was completely relevant to the new generation in both high school and when they got to college. I watched it the entire time it was on the air and always seemed to relate to it the entire time. Especially the Jen character because I always felt like the outsider for some reason.

But I can't think of any movies that have come out that have been culturally relevent in the past 6 years. Garden State was great, but it was too off the wall. Not all people are like those characters.

Whatever is left of me, whatever I am, I'm yours.

[–] blueskiesfrompain4 18 years ago

It's all relative, it really is. The 2000's aren't even over yet, so we can't decide yet. We still have a good 3+ years for movies.

[–] socalled12345 18 years ago

this generation from what i have seen was given some name like generation T as in technology

and i too have yet to see any sort of comming of age movie to be the movie of this generation.
most of the movies i see out now are stupid college humor movies.

while i was born in 1983 and just turned 20 in the 2000's i still consider myself a part of the 90's. i grew up during that time, listen to the music loved it and still its about all i listen too. i watched the movies and the tv shows, and i agree with about everyone when they say that was one of the best times. even better than the 2000's as i'm sure alot would agree.

[–] funkie_sparkels 18 years ago

Hmm...well I was born in 1983 and I don't think my generation had a movie that reflected it like Reality Bites was made to reflect the generation it was aimed at. BUT I do think my generation had movies that DEFINED us, as in ones that we all remember, and perhaps identified with in other ways.
I definitely think the American Pie movies are not given their due. If you read between the lines, of the first one anyway, there's more to it than just sex jokes and gross-out humor. It is about learning and growing up, "the next step". That's a movie that I identify with. I didn't identify with Cruel Intentions at all, even though it is my favourite movie, because I don't live in that 'rich kid' world.
Donnie Darko and Girl Interrupted are perhaps a reflection of the smarter side, and darker side, of our generation's sense of humor.
What about the big horror movies of the 90s like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer? I mean, they're horror trash but people definitely watched them and they are perhaps another trademark of the 80s kids.
Feel free to disagree, this is just my opinion.

evian is naive spelled backwards

[–] ChuchoQuintero 18 years ago

This is non-sense!!!!
there's no answer but: GARDEN STAAATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no napoleon, no donnie (even if I adore Donnie Darko), no other person but ANDREW LARGEMAN... ok? Don't post anymore... thanx

*Best of 2006:
Happy Feet
The Science of Sleep
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
Children of men

[–] digichik 18 years ago

Myspace and youtube

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] brazil_chica 18 years ago

Technically, you could say I'm of the "spoilt brats", iGeneration everyone keeps talking about - born 1988. (You know, though, we really aren't anywhere near as bad as the "born in the 90s" generation...at least we can remember a time with no internet.) However, I've always felt much more a part of the GenX/GenY. I see myself doing a Garden State a few years from now (sad, I know, but that's how pointless our generation feels lately).

Most of the recent attempts at generational movies have been a bit too shallow to really be coined as definitive (note: teen movies are not generational). As shallow as I realize the last couple of generations have been, I still think we deserve better. (Then again, maybe I am giving my generation too much credit...)

Some of the best examples I can think of: Garden State, Mallrats, Igby Goes Down (cheers to whoever mentioned it).

...nitwit...oddment...blubber...tweak...

[–] BethH24 18 years ago

Is there a film for generation Y ? I was born in 1984

[–] brazil_chica 18 years ago

I think that's what we're trying to define here...

I dunno, I've been reading back on what some people have said, and reading up on the different generations on Wikipedia (worth checking out, BTW), and some new ideas have struck me. I've been noticing that the defining birth-dates for GenYs are still a bit too broad, and that they are still v. connected with the iGeneration (which now I'm beginning to realize is a completely different generation).

Somebody mentioned The Matrix up there, and now I realize it really is a defining generational movie, even though that isn't it's main theme. For me, it seems that those who were in their teens or 20s when it was released (or at least 'aware' of it) could prolly be defined as GenY, the rest - prolly born post-fall-of-Berlin-Wall - would be considered iGen. These GenYs are prolly the same who got the end of grunge and danced to Spice Girls at one point. Which puts me in the transitoin period (b. 1988 - as if I don't have enough of an identity crisis) - although I've always identified more with the older generations, who don't seem to be quite as shallow as the no-life-without-internet, OC-watching, Paris Hilton iGeneration. Then again, I might be generalising too much.

On the other hand, I have never identified much with my sister (older GenYer, b. 1980), but then, she's prolly not the best example of a GenYer. But for the most of her folks, I still say Garden State is the closest, with perhaps American Pie defining the high school years.

As for other defining movies, Thirteen is prolly a good example of the born-in-the-late-80s generation (so late GenY, you could say), although it does kind of gloss over the technology-loving side of us. But then, I don't think we were quite that into technology when it was thought up. (And I still insist on Igby Goes Down, which at least expresses my current feelings perfectly - and I'm not trying to play the "I'm a lost generation" pose here.)

As for the iGeneration, I think they're/we're still too young to be defined by a quintessential film. Hopefully, the iGens won't grow up to be as shallow as we seem to be, and grow out of the Paris Hilton-idolizing. But the internet will still play a defining role in whatever we do, I'm sure.

Okay, I've babbled on far too much...

...nitwit...oddment...blubber...tweak...

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] magisterludi1789 18 years ago

My votes go for:

- 'Ghost World' and 'Art School Confidential' (both directed by Terry Zwigoff)
- 'Igby Goes Down'
- 'Lost in Translation' (I think it captures the moods)

[–] allearsblog 18 years ago

I was born in '83 and somehow I think RB does kinda speak to me. But I would say Ghost World reflects my generation's views and sentiments (at least mine). It came out the year I graduated high school and it really mirrored how I felt, or still feel. Maybe I should grow up...

[–] tearsxforxstars 18 years ago

Personally I dont think theres many films out there that speak about our/my generation.
I think the UK TV show Skins is an excellent realistic portrayl of teenagers. Watching one episode is like having a flashback of some drunken night from the past few years.
I think something that kinda defines this generation is probably something like emo. It started in the 80s but now its really come into its own. Its huge and so many people of this generation are into the scene in someway. I dont think the is a film though that truley gives a fair representation of the scene.
Umm... maybe this should be inspiration for a new movie?

[–] johnny_calhoun 18 years ago

I would say "Fight Club" is a pretty good description of a "Generation Y" movie.

http://z4.invisionfree.com/Annotated_Lee/index.php?act=idx

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] bhessle-1 18 years ago

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0292644/