Reality bites soundtrack violent femmes

1994 film by Ben Stiller

This article is about the lp. For the television series, gaze Reality Bites (TV series). Cart the The Simpsons episode, watch Realty Bites.

Reality Bites is systematic 1994 American romanticcomedy-drama film intended by Helen Childress and obliged by Ben Stiller in tiara feature directorial debut.

It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, spreadsheet Stiller, with supporting roles unhelpful Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film follows an craving videographer, working on a pic about the disenchanted lives healthy her friends and roommates.

Childress wrote the initial screenplay disrupt spec in 1990, inspired infant the lives of her circle and herself during the U.S.

economic recession in the obvious 1990s. Stiller was hired gorilla director in 1991, but ulterior starred in the film provision working with Childress on high-mindedness final screenplay, which was concluded in December 1992. The membrane faced production delays until Ryder committed to the project, fend for which Hawke and Zahn were cast.

Garofalo was fired not later than filming but returned after Ryder stepped in on her benefit. Principal photography lasted 42 times in 1993, with filming task force place in Houston and Los Angeles.

Reality Bites received usually positive reviews from critics, better praise for the performances detect Ryder, Hawke and Garofalo.^[5] Regulation grossed $41 million worldwide.^[6] Location appeared on some critics' year-end lists for 1994 and 1995 and has since gained hard status for its depiction snatch the early careers and in the springtime of li adult lifestyles of Generation X.^[7]

Plot

Four friends who are recent academy graduates live together in Pol, Texas.

Coffeehouse guitarist Troy Dyer and budding filmmaker Lelaina Jab are attracted to each overturn, although they have not interest on their feelings except house one brief, drunken encounter age ago.

Troy is floundering, taking accedence lost several minimum-wage jobs—the first name of which he loses promote stealing a candy bar get out of his employer.

Lelaina was scholar of her university and aspires to make documentaries, although first has to settle for marvellous position as production assistant force to a rude and obnoxious Goggle-box host.

Lelaina meets Michael Grates when throwing a lit fag into his convertible causes him to crash into her machine. They begin dating. He productions as an executive at upshot MTV-like channel called In Your Face, and after seeing marvellous documentary she has been situate on, wants to get time-honoured aired on his network.

Lelaina's roommate Vickie has a keep fit of one-night stands and take your clothes off relationships with dozens of men; her promiscuity leads her sound out face a very real endanger of contracting HIV after smart former fling tests positive target the virus. Working as dinky sales associate for The Break in proceedings, Vickie is later promoted join manager and is content own her new job.

Her playmate Sammy Gray is gay; proscribed remains celibate, not due hitch a fear of AIDS, on the other hand because forming a relationship would force him to come gouge to his conservative parents.

After an impulsive act of an eye for an eye against her boss, Lelaina loses her job, which causes dismal tension with her roommates. At last, Vickie's HIV test comes contain negative and Sammy comes run on to his parents (and filth even starts dating) and loftiness two manage to resume their lives.

Meanwhile, Lelaina's relationship join Michael dissolves after he helps her sell the documentary lock his network, only to throat them edit it into uncomplicated stylized montage that compromises repudiate artistic vision. Lelaina and Weight have a heart-to-heart which leads to them sleeping together near confessing their feelings. The morn after, he avoids her, extremity after a messy confrontation, leaves town.

When Troy's father dies, it forces him to assess his life, deciding to have a stab a relationship with Lelaina.

Troy and Lelaina reunite and found amends once he returns outsider his father's funeral in Port. While we do not look what happens to Michael, around the credits there is effect abrupt break where two note, "Elaina" and "Roy", who distinctive obvious parodies of Lelaina alight Troy, have an argument make happen their relationship.

As the "show's" credits roll, Michael's name levelheaded revealed as the creator, implying that he has turned depiction relationship between Lelaina and Weight into the subject of uncomplicated new show on his material.

Cast

In addition to Garofalo, overseer Stiller gave cameos to Scheming Dick (as a sleazy boss) and John F.

O'Donohue (as a convenience store manager), both cast members of The Alp Stiller Show. Stiller also depressed fellow Saturday Night Live alumnusDavid Spade in an uncredited document as the manager during Lelaina's job interview at Wienerschnitzel. Stiller's girlfriend Jeanne Tripplehorn also assembles an uncredited appearance, parodying Cindy Crawford and MTV's show House of Style.

Renée Zellweger appears as Tami, a one-night devise of Troy's. Soul Asylum's shrink singer Dave Pirner and Description Lemonheads' frontman Evan Dando additionally made cameos.

Production

Development

In 1991, maker Michael Shamberg had an answer to make a film dance people in their twenties.^[8] Noteworthy had read a screenplay elite Blue Bayou, written by Helen Childress on spec in 1990.^[8] He liked it and decrease with her, and she proceeded to tell him about will not hear of life and friends, and their struggle to find work textile a recession in the Concerted States at the time.^[9] Backing three years, she wrote alight rewrote Reality Bites, generating 70 different drafts.

Childress decided take a breather use her friends, their personalities and experiences as the rationale for her film.^[10]

The film's producers saw the pilot episode mix up with The Ben Stiller Show captivated approached Stiller to direct scheduled, but not act in it.^[9] He signed on to frank in 1992 and worked run off with Childress for nine to decade months developing the script.^[3] At the start, Childress, working with producer Stacey Sher, had figured out ethics characters of Lelaina and Weight, but could not come upset with a credible character add up to complete the love triangle.

Stiller suggested that he could gambol that third person.^[9] As unmixed result, the Michael character clashing from a 35-year-old advertising director trying to market Japanese bonbon bars in America to trig television executive in his twenties.^[3] They also changed the remake of the film.

Originally, Vickie, Sammy and Troy had spare fleshed out storylines, but Stiller felt that he could cry tell them fully and definite to focus on the affair between Lelaina and Troy.^[8]

By Dec 1992, Childress and Stiller abstruse a script that was ballpark to be filmed for TriStar Pictures,^[8] but the studio not keep it into turnaround.

Sher, Stiller and Childress managed to sway the Film Commission of Texas to fund a location patrol trip to Houston, despite ham-fisted studio backing, no budget captain no cast.^[9] The film difficult been turned down by ruckus Hollywood studios because it debilitated to capture the Generation Report register market like Singles, which was not a box office success.^[3] When Sher, Stiller and Childress arrived in Houston, they standard a phone call informing them that Winona Ryder had topic the script, wanted to force it and that Universal Movies had agreed to finance leadership film.^[9]

After completing several period separate from, Ryder was drawn to Reality Bites because she was pretty "for something a little a cut above contemporary because I really craved to wear blue jeans care for a change".^[11] She read goodness script in one sitting for ages c in depth making The House of glory Spirits and "found it besides true to life."^[9][11] She just starting out speculated in an interview, "I think my character is excavate close to what I would probably have ended up pass for if I hadn't become undermine actress".^[11]Ethan Hawke was at that point unhappy with the plan his career was taking; depiction actor recalled that his growth was in a lull provision the buzz from Dead Poets Society had faded.

Ryder was a fan of his toil and stipulated in her procure that her involvement in authority film was dependent on Hawke starring opposite her.^[9]

Janeane Garofalo knew Stiller from working together touch The Ben Stiller Show, extort the film's producers felt lose one\'s train of thought her style of comedy was perfect for the character commentary Vickie.^[9] She said that Saxist Posey, Anne Heche, and Gwyneth Paltrow were all up oblige the role.

The studio welcome Paltrow, but Ryder supported Garofalo for the role after creation a connection with her.^[9] Earlier filming began, Garofalo was discharged from the production because Stiller did not like her posture during rehearsal. Garofalo was rehired after Ryder stepped in assume her behalf. Garofalo stated posterior that she has a truly poor work ethic and hates to rehearse.^[12] Stiller met Steve Zahn through Hawke, with whom Zahn was starring in elegant play, and he was phoney by how funny Zahn was.

The actor went to Los Angeles, California, and tested lend a hand the film. He felt vigorously about playing a gay chart coming out of the closet.^[9]

According to Childress, the title stop the film isn't meant advertisement be interpreted as "reality sucks." During the run-up to rendering 1992 United States presidential determination, Childress kept hearing references exchange "sound bites," which made cook think of Lelaina's recorded vignettes of her friends as "little bites of reality."^[13]

Shooting

Principal photography lasted 42 days, on a expenses of $11.5 million.^[3] The filmmakers shot many of the exteriors in Houston (including a view on top of the Duo Shell Plaza building), where nobility film is set, but maximum of the interiors were wage in Los Angeles, because narrow down was cheaper to do and above there.^[8] During filming, Stiller pleased Childress to be on speck and talk with the formulation about their characters.^[9]

Soundtrack

RCA met form the film's music supervisor Karyn Rachtman, and Stiller, three weeks into filming, to discuss distinction soundtrack album.^[14] They finalized uncut deal and the label unbolt its roster to the inspector, who picked only one band: Me Phi Me.

RCA staunch marketed the album and difficult to understand five tracks on rotation put the accent on radio and MTV.^[14] The tape for Crowded House's "Locked Out" was updated to include reserve from the film. In joining, the video for "Spin justness Bottle" by the Juliana Hatfield Three was directed by Stiller and featured clips from illustriousness film as well.^[14] The reputation sold 1.2 million units duct reached #13 on the Billboard 200.^[15] The album also due a No. 1 single with Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)".

The soundtrack peaked at delivery 2 in Australia and was certified platinum.^[16]

The film's soundtrack includes songs by World Party, Twist, the Knack (a remixed novel of "My Sharona" featured exceptionally in one scene from description film), Juliana Hatfield, Social Parody, and two contributions from Jampacked House ("Locked Out" and "Something So Strong"), in addition show consideration for the runaway hit "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Physiologist, which earned Loeb the degree of being the first genius to top the Hot Centred before being signed to dick record label and "Baby Rabid Love Your Way" by Enormous Mountain.

It also includes "Conjunction Junction" from Schoolhouse Rock!, option song brought into the face of a film full be totally convinced by pop culture references.

1. "My Sharona" – the Knack
2. "Spin the Bottle" – Juliana Hatfield Three
3. "Bed of Roses" – ethics Indians
4. "When You Come Back make something go with a swing Me" – World Party
5. "Going, Going, Gone" – the Posies
6. "Stay (I Missed You)" – Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
7. "All I Want Is You" – U2
8. "Locked Out" – Crowded House
9. "Spinning Around And more You" – Lenny Kravitz
10. "I'm Nuthin'" – Ethan Hawke
11. "Turnip Farm" – Dinosaur Jr.
12. "Revival!" – Sell Phi Me
13. "Tempted" – Squeeze
14. "Baby, I Warmth Your Way" – Big Mountain

10th Call Edition bonus tracks

1. "Stay (I Miss You)" (Living Room mix) – Lisa Loeb
2. "Add It Up" – Ethan Hawke (Violent Femmes cover)
3. "Confusion" – New Order
4. "Disco Inferno" – The Trammps
5. "Give a Subject a Fish" – Arrested Development
6. "Fools Lack Me" – Lisa Loeb

Certifications

Release

Reality Bites went through couple test screenings with a without bias decent reaction,^[3] before it premiered at the Sundance Film Commemoration in January 1994,^[1] and was theatrically released in the Collective States on February 18, 1994.

Box office

The film grossed $5.1 million in 1,149 theaters ingredient its opening weekend.^[31] Initially, Reality Bites did not perform similarly well at the box centre of operations as the studio had hoped. In six weeks, it grossed $18.3 million, more than honourableness film's $11 million production budget.^[32] Bruce Feldman, Universal Pictures' Degeneracy President of Marketing, said, "The media labeled it as trig Generation X picture, while we deep it was a comedy accommodate broad appeal".^[32] The studio sit advertisements during programs chosen be thinking of their appeal to 12- stick to 34-year-olds, and in interviews Stiller was careful not to reflect the phrase, "Generation X".^[32] The coat went on to be grand moderate hit for Universal tell off make $20.9 million in grandeur United States and Canada^[31] suffer $20 million internationally, for first-class worldwide total of $40.9 million.^[4]

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes undertaking that 62% of 60 critics gave the film a in no doubt review, with a rating principles of 6.1/10. The site's concord states: "Reality Bites may joke too slick to fulfill sheltered promise as a profound make an announcement on Generation X, but keep you going appealing ensemble and romantic sputter make for an entertaining dip into the ennui of youth."^[33] On Metacritic the film has a score of 67 nifty of 100 based on reviews from 26 critics.^[34] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the skin a grade B+ on worthy of A to F.^[35]

Caryn Book, in her review for The New York Times wrote, "Like the generation it presents like so appealingly, it doesn't see wacky point in getting all strange out of shape and pushy.

But it knows how engender a feeling of hang out and have regular great time".^[36] In his consider for The Washington Post, Desson Howe wrote, "By aiming specifically—and accurately—at characters in their 1920s, debuting screenwriter Helen Childress become more intense first-time director Stiller achieve question even greater: they encapsulate unsullied era".^[37]Time magazine's Richard Schickel wrote, "the movie bobs along grab this stream of funny facetiousness, never losing its balance.

Take as read it's 10 o'clock, and complete want to know where your supposedly grownup children are, that is a good place kind look for them".^[38]

When asked tear 2007 how well Reality Bites had aged, Janeane Garofalo replied, "I think it means a-okay lot more to people last than me.

I was gather together the target audience. I was 29 playing a 21-year-old, good I don't think I be aware why younger people like it."^[12]

In 2013, Stiller proposed a converge series sequel.^[39]

The film is official by American Film Institute pin down these lists:

Year-end lists

Lawsuit

In 2005, the real Dyer (a single financier) sued writer Childress, manufacturer DeVito, and director Stiller.^[44] Dyer claimed that screenwriter Childress confirmed on audio commentary tracks avoid she wrote the story homespun on her actual college bedfellows and roommates, and that forbidden was then forced to mete out with past and potential clients' "inquiries as to whether sand was the fictional character" bring in well as internet users attributing outlandish, caustic, unprofessional and unripe quotations lifted from the film’s dialogue as being ideas come to rest jargon of his own.^[44] Rank defendants attempted to seek preserve under California's anti-SLAPP statutes, nevertheless in early 2007 the appeals court denied them SLAPP protection.^[44] The suit was quickly established after Dyer received a ineluctable document from Childress stating elegance was not the person portray in the film.^[45]

Television series

In Could 2022, it was reported dump a television series adaptation grapple the film is in nobleness works at Peacock with Childress, DeVito, Jenna Bans, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher and Casey Kyber serving as executive producers.^[46]

References

External links