Generation View Of Reality

Generation’s View of Reality

Ben Stiller’s 1994 film, Reality Bites, portrays the broad based struggles of

America’s twentysomethings through a lighthearted glimpse into the lives of the movie’s main

characters. Four friends, recently graduated from college, find themselves over-educated and

under-employed, a theme reiterated in the lives of many Generation Xers according to critic

Marilyn Gardner. She states, “unemployment is higher for those under 25 then it is for the

workforce as a whole.” (pg. 14, col. 1) Though Reality Bites bills itself as “a comedy about love

in the 90's,” the film is more of a commentary on the issues facing young adults today

(Kempley, Sec. C., pg 7). The central theme concerning the lives of Generation Xers is

supported by three main motifs throughout the film: the love triangle between Lalaina Pierce

(Winona Ryder), Michael Grates (Ben Stiller), and Troy Dire (Ethan Hawke); social issues facing

the characters such as AIDS, homosexuality, and divorce; and recurring references to television,

the entertainment of choice for the “MTV Generation.”

The romantic relationships between Lalaina, Michael, and Troy stage the most obvious

contrasts between Generation Xers and their nemesis: materialistic yuppies. The three

characters form a contium between the quintessential 20ish “slacker” (Troy), the white collar,

“nouveau riche” yuppie (Michael), and the quasi-slacker (Lalaina), who is somewhere in

between. Troy, Lalaina’s long haired, un-shaven, grungy dressing best friend exemplifies the anti-materialistic, devil-may-care attitude of Generation X. In fact, when Vicky lets Troy move

into the girls’ apartment after being fired from his twelfth job (a clerk at a news stand), Lalaina

complains that the frequently boozing, cigarette-smoking, unemployed Troy will “turn this place

into a den of slack.” Though Troy is arguably one of the smartest of the bunch, he didn’t have

enough credits to graduate from the university. In classic slacker fashion, Troy has the

intelligence but not the drive to succeed in a materialistic world. Rather, he thrives on the

simplistic: “you see Lanie, this is all we need, a couple smokes, a cup of coffee, and a little

conversation. You, me, and five bucks.”

Conversely, Michael Grates, Lalaina’s other love interest is ...

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...uides, remote controls, VCR’s and large, comfy chairs in

which to view the sets.

The love triangle of Lalaina, Michael, and Troy, the age-specific problems the youths

face, and the television motif all serve to make Reality Bites a Generation X film, not just as a

simple romantic comedy. The dialogue between the characters and technical aspects center

around the ups and downs of the friends. The love triangle is resolved in a manner that

highlights the Generation X theme. In the end, Lalaina chooses Troy over Michael, the fitting

end for a Generation X icon.

Works Cited

Gardner, Marilyn. “Generation X: The Starting Line.” The Christian Science Monitor. (March

24, 1994) pp 14.

James, Caryn. “Coming of Age in Snippets: Life as a Twentysomething.” The New York

Times. (February 18, 1994) sec. C, pp 3.

Kempley, Rita. “Reality Bites.” The Washington Post. (July 22, 1994) sec. C, pp 7.

Steinhauser, Jennifer. “Ennui Goes Better With Coke.” The New York Times. (March 6, 1994)

sec. 4, pp 4.

Stiller, Ben. Reality Bites. With Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder, and Ben Stiller. MCA/Universal

Studios, 1994.