Reality Bites
-
Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
-
Common Sense says
Comedy about 20-something slackers isn't for kids.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 15–16
What to watch out for
-
Violence:
-
Sex:
-
Language:
-
Consumerism:
-
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Reality Bites was written by Joyce Slaton
Parents need to know that this film features 20-something recent college graduates who drink, smoke, and sleep around. There are few consequences for their behavior, save for a very mild subplot in which one of the characters takes an AIDS test (she tests negative). However, the characters generally mean well, and parents who don't object to depictions of sex and drug/alcohol use may find their behavior towards each other acceptable.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about movies' responsibility. Should movies that target teens and 20-year-olds simply reflect their behavoir -- or does seeing characters drink, smoke and have casual sex on screen glamorize their behavior?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Reality Bites
What’s the Story?
REALITY BITES opens with a speech in which college valedictorian and fledgling documentarian Lelaina (Winona Ryder) expresses her general dissatisfaction with the world she's about to take on. That vague angst is the most consistent plot thread running through the film as Lelaina and her three buddies Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), Sammy (Steve Zahn), and Troy (Ethan Hawke) labor at worthless jobs, play drinking games, cavort for Lelaina's documentary cameras, and look for love. Lelaina and Troy seem meant for each other, but when she (literally) bumps into an older, slicker television executive (Ben Stiller), a predictable love triangle ensues.
Is It Any Good?
Boy, oh boy do the characters who inhabit Reality Bites love to talk. They talk about their love lives, their search for meaningful work, their favorite TV shows. They talk about their lame parents, their boring jobs, their slacker friends. It's not that all the talk isn't occasionally amusing; on the contrary, the dialogue is smart and bubblegum-culture-savvy enough to provoke chuckles amongst Gen X parents. It's just that the characters take themselves so incredibly seriously, and never shut up.
Overall, the movie is not without charm or laughs, and although the ending is supposed to be happy, it is rather shallow. Anyone over 25 will find the main characters rather insufferable, while those under 25 might find it dated.
Movie Details
Studio: Universal Studios, Director: Ben Stiller
Run time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release: 2/18/1994, DVD release: 7/21/1998
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language, drug content and sensuality
Run time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release: 2/18/1994, DVD release: 7/21/1998
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language, drug content and sensuality
Our Members Say
Give Recommendations, Get Them, Too!
Become a member and get recommendations from other parents based on your child's age.Tell us your child's age:
Already a member? Log inOur Members Rate It
Be the first to review
For Your Family
Get age-based recommendations for your kids:
Customize based on your child's age
