Reality Bites (1994)

[Edgy MD]

Four recent Gen-X college graduates with broken professional compasses share a life, drugs, and general contempt for the society they are struggling to enter with their souls intact. The bonds of their common alienation hold fast even as treat each other unspeakably.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"Ride the melt."

Remarkably shallow, and subtly contemptuous of the people it's portraying, you get the feeling. (Either that, or Stiller is just a misanthrope, and this is the closest he gets to depicting actual warmth.) In terms of incisiveness, Singles shames this, which is saying something.

It squeezes two stars out of me, though, because I find myself inexplicably leaving it on when it comes on cable, and teenage me has an unquenchable thing for mid-90s Winona Ryder. (No matter how spoiled and terrible the character she's playing.)

[Edgy MD]

One and a half from me.

I just can't believe they can't frame the decision of young Winona's life as a choice between two equally contemptable, equally self-interested assholes --- each bent on exploiting and consuming whatever spirit she has left. That's the choice Gen-Xers have? Between giving your sex to corporate douchebags or Byronic ones?

Women of earth, there's a third way!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: In terms of incisiveness, Singles shames this, which is saying something.

This. Also, what he said about Winona Ryder, whoever she is.

I still get them confused for a few minutes when they come on anyway. Is this Reality Bites or Singles?

[Frayed Knot]

I manage to conflate 'Singles' with 'Reality Bites' even having never seen either one of them.

[Willets Point]

One was in Seattle, the other was in Texas, thus one had more sunshine than the other.

[Vic Sage]

i liked them both, mostly because i too had contempt for the Gen x it was (probably falsely) portraying. It reinforced my prior notions about the generation that came after me, in an amusing way. I would likely hate them both, however, if i were of that generation.

[Willets Point]

Vic Sage wrote: i liked them both, mostly because i too had contempt for the Gen x it was (probably falsely) portraying. It reinforced my prior notions about the generation that came after me, in an amusing way. I would likely hate them both, however, if i were of that generation.

You have contempt for my generation? Whatever, dude!

[Vic Sage]

You have contempt for my generation? Whatever, dude!

well, if the generation's values and character are defined by such films as these, who wouldn't be contemptuous?
But I will certainly grant you that the films (and my prejudices) may be heinously inaccurate in that regard...
Still, i start from a premise of contempt and modify from there. Its my job as a cynic and misanthrope.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: One and a half from me. I just can't believe they can't frame the decision of young Winona's life as a choice between two equally contemptable, equally self-interested assholes --- each bent on exploiting and consuming whatever spirit she has left. That's the choice Gen-Xers have? Between giving your sex to corporate douchebags or Byronic ones? Women of earth, there's a third way!

Only, she's kinda shitty, too. She just looks better in a nineties haircut/dress than the boys or Janeane do.

Vic Sage wrote: i liked them both, mostly because i too had contempt for the Gen x it was (probably falsely) portraying. It reinforced my prior notions about the generation that came after me, in an amusing way. I would likely hate them both, however, if i were of that generation.

As if! Talk to the hand, hater bee-yotch.