This is STILL an Awful Film - Reality Bites (1994) Discussion

[–] JRodFilms 15 years ago

and you wasted a moment of your pathetic life bashing it. well done.

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[–] carver76 15 years ago

Yeah, this is a discussion board, pal.

I'm discussing...

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[–] blitzhard56 15 years ago

JRod, I can't stand people like you. Grow up as*hole.

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[–] Jaybone23 15 years ago

Nope...hasn't aged well at all. Hell, it was sort of dated when it was released in 1994, the "Gen X" discussion in popular culture having already become tiresome. I brought this up in another thread, but I remember when Janeane Garofalo (sp?) was doing press for this film. She was on every talkshow insisting that this was NOT a "Gen X" film. An early 90's movie MADE by young adults ABOUT young adults FOR young adults. If not "Gen X" then what was it? A western?

And you're right about the performances as well. Although I can't help but like Steve Zahn, having met and chatted with him when he came to speak at my school. He's pals with the professor of a playwriting class I took.

However, it was Ben Stiller's directorial debut. I'll forgive him this one if only because I like most everything he's directed since: "The Cable Guy", "Zoolander", and "Tropic Thunder".

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[–] Connie_n_Raymond_Marble 14 years ago

Spare the hell out of me. Reality Bites might not have been a masterpiece but its still miles ahead of that *beep* you just listed. Cable Guy? Zoolander? Tropic Thunder? Movies made for people with the lowest possible threshold for intellectual stimulation. How old are you? Twelve?

We'll see whose the filthiest person alive! We'll just see!

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[–] Jaybone23 14 years ago

You do know of course that Ben Stiller MADE all of the movies listed. So, "Reality Bites" is his best film and all the others are crap? Not according to nearly every professional critic, the users here at IMDb, AND the movie watching/buying public at large. I think you are being contrary only for the sake of being contrary...especially since you failed to make even one intelligent point. You really think "Reality Bites" is more profound than any other Ben Stiller-directed movie? It was a tired cliche long before it was even released. It's over-the-top obviousness and simple-minded, ham-handed approach makes it relevant only to those too dull to dig deeper into the themes the film claims to address. Even one of its stars, Janeanne Garofalo, was somewhat critical of the movie while doing the talk shows at the time of its release...and she was good friends with Ben Stiller! Make a real point about a movie for once, CnRM, rather than spitting trollish rants. Go ahead and like a film if you like it, but don't be an A-hole and run down others who are actually capable of saying why they do or do not appreciate a particular film.

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[–] Connie_n_Raymond_Marble 14 years ago

Jaybone, taking things a little seriously are we? First of all, IMDb movie boards are a casual place for people to state their opinions. Did I make one intelligent point? Maybe not but my intent really wasn't to sit down and write a 1,000 word theatrical critism essay here. I get enough of that at school where I'm actually graded on what I write. I merely stated an opinion which is all one can really say about a movie anyway. Whether or not a movie is any good is COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE. You go on and on and on about over-the-top-obviousness and simple-minded, ham-handed approaches which IN MY OPINION is exactly the qualities I hated about Zoolander and The Cable Guy and all that other garbage. I found Reality Bites to be a rather thoughtful examination of the issues facing twenty-somethings in the 90s. IT IS MY OPINION. The simple truth is, I really don't want to think anymore than that about it. I liked it. I think the other movies you mentioned were immature crap. That's it. THAT'S MY OPINION. I came onto the board of a movie that I liked and I defended it. I didn't go to the board of some movie I hated and try to convince the fans there that it was a bad film. No, you'll never catch me on the Zoolander board. Anyone who would do something like THAT is the real troll, not me. But, after all, you were just STATING YOUR OPINION so I'm not going to complain. Just think about the words you are throwing around. Now...my friend is going to be here to pick me up in a few and I've already wasted too much time with this conversation as it is. I hope you have a very, very nice night.

PS. I hear they are making a sequel to Zoolander. You might be interested in looking up the deets on their board. Hope it lives up to your expectations. And I'm being serious NOT a smartass.

PSS. And for the record--critics, box-office and ESPECIALLY IMDb users have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with how I personally feel about a film. Yeah, I actually think for myself so don't even try to bring THAT into any arguement against me.

PSSS. My other post was not a rant. THIS ONE was a rant.

Cheers.

We'll see whose the filthiest person alive! We'll just see!

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[–] mitchellG 15 years ago

Sorry man

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[–] 06986 15 years ago

I saw Reality Bites recently too and the movie is just bad and pretty depressing. It got a decent amount of hype when it was first released just because of the "My Sharona" video but after seeing it again it has not aged well at all and it is just not good. I can't believe Ben Stiller directed it and acted in it because he is so much funnier and entertaining then this trying to be hip but just isn't movie. None of the characters are likable and are really annoying but maybe that was the intention, they all are a bunch of depressed whiny snot nosed yuppies who think they know everything and are better then everyone else but aren't and really can't function or make it in the real world. "Cable Guy" which was good but not great was much better then this and was a much better effort by Stiller. I am glad Stiller dropped trying to do the whole hip trendy young Gen X thing and went with more likable characters, roles, and movies like Meet the Parents, Something about Mary, Night at the Museum, Meet the Fockers, Starsky and Hutch, and Tropic Thunder.

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[–] mitchellG 15 years ago

Was actually quite good...sorry dude :(

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[–] carver76 15 years ago

Care to elaborate on that?

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[–] davebpa 15 years ago

I agree with the OP. Although, I think it was better than I first remembered. It DEFINITELY jumped onto the whole Gen-X bandwagon. Jeeez, the whole movie was one giant cliche. And some things were just preposterous (psychic chat line phone bill, HIV test). While Winona's character was hard to realistically associate with, I found the being torn between the yuppie & Troy quite realistic. I've sometimes found myself in positions of being 'the yuppie' to a girl, and interestingly 'the Troy' while she's with someone else. I also thought Ethan Hawke was really good in it. Something I didn't think the first time I saw it.

Like you said though, still a cheesy over-the-top movie.

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[–] clapstick1 15 years ago

I'm the exact age of the characters in this movie and I will tell you this is very similiar to how I lived at the time. I was in a house with 4 roommates and one guy was just like troy, he was smart but stoned the majority of the time. I was the supposed 'sell out' you could say, the one who went to class, worked all the time and didn't have a lot of free time. I remember others who were similar to the garofalo character and the steve zahn character as well. Now I'm happily married and have my second child on the way. My point is that this is a realistic depiction of how life was then and music truly did define the era. I remember having long debates about who was better- stone temple pilots, pearl jam or alice in chains. I think it's a great movie, great soundtrack for the time and characters were real. I think the troy character would be working at best buy now in the geek squad. That's what the smart roomie I had does now. Just a guess.

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[–] carver76 15 years ago

I think you are confusing the content of this film with its quality. You gave a plot summary, and apparently those details rang true for you and your life. The quality of a film is how it takes the raw screenplay and crafts it into a finished film. You could give the same screenplay to 10 directors and end up with 10 (sometimes greatly) different results.

Unfortunately, Reality Bites is directed in a very obvious and strident way, resulting in a film that is smug and self-important (which is kind of ironic coming from a film that is ostensibly opposed to such ideals).

All of those original life details, catchy music, and pop culture references remain, but the finished product is extremely flawed.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] move_over_fatso 15 years ago

I definitely agree that RB was a good movie that definitely captured the cultural vibe of the time. I also agree that Singles was another Gen-X period movie, but it wasn't self-important, smug, over-chatty, pseudo-intel banter. It was LAMPOONING the characters in the cast as being self-important, smug, etc. What you fail to point out was how superficial and INSECURE they all were, which is why the pseudo-intellectual banter comes out. Another great depiction of Gen-X, except as older individuals (even though the movie came out two years before RB).

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[–] geesuz 15 years ago

I agree. But on the bright side, the cast and crew got paid.

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[–] thebuff144 15 years ago

wow so much hate for this movie, never been on the board for this movie but i wasn't expecting to find this. I LOVE this movie, thats all i can really say about it, love the characters and i can just watch it over and over. Oh well each to their own.

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[–] ccr1633 15 years ago

carver76 wrote:
"I still think the same thing, but now I think it even more so: A huge waste of talent."
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I agree with everything, except the claim that there is a huge amount of talent in this film to be wasted. Aside from Ben Stiller, who is a pretty prolific and creative guy (I have Cable Guy in mind), the rest of the cast is really lame. Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder, and Janeane Garafalo are dullards.

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[–] monique79-1 14 years ago

I love 80's movies, coming of age movies, etc, but this movie just didn't do anything for me.

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[–] allthewine 14 years ago

I watched it for the first time last night and I have to say it is utterly terrible and almost instantly forgettable.

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[–] dhshoops2001 12 years ago

I haven't seen it in over ten years or so myself but that's exactly what this film seemed like: "instantly forgettable." Wasted cast, plot etc...tried to latch onto the already then tired zeitgeist of "Generation X."

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