It seems every generation has produced its own cohort of overeducated twentysomethings who are stranded between promise and reality, and routinely dismissed as lazy or slow growers. Ben Stiller’s 90s romcom Reality Bites captured that enduring state of uncertainty, creative ambition and emotional drift with a distinctly gen X feel, when the only real enemies seemed to be capitalism and inauthenticity.
On release in 1994, the film received mixed reviews. Stiller, a first-time director, was credited with capturing a 90s post-college drift, while Winona Ryder’s magnetic performance as Lelaina was widely praised. The criticism was reserved for its “banal love story”, with Variety accusing it of selling out to a Hollywood formula – ironically what the film’s characters rail against.
