“Reality Bites” depicts a bitter reality in a bright and pop way, embodying Generation X

"Reality Bites" synopsis

Four young people from Generation X who were friends in college and continue to be friends today. Relayna dreams of getting a job at a TV station and making documentaries. Troy continues to play in a band that he doesn't think will sell well, and is unable to find a job. Troy's friend Sammy is a gay man who is having trouble coming out to his parents, and Relayna's friend Vicki, who works at GAP and has a lot of experience with men. By chance, they start living together, but...

Index

• A famous producer took notice of the script I wrote at the age of 19.
• The studio gave the go-ahead with ideal casting.
• Works that are remembered as a set with music
• Ben Stiller made his directorial debut with sincerity

A famous producer took notice of the script I wrote at the age of 19.

Generation Z has become a buzzword in Japan as well. There are no strict standards, but it generally refers to the generation born between 1995 and 2010 (there are various theories). Since we are called Generation Z, there was also Generation Y before that. However, those born between 1980 and 1995 were commonly referred to as Millennials. Going back further, the generation X (= Generation X) before that is the origin of this name. A generation born from the mid-1960s to the end of the 1970s. Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland named it in his 1991 book, and it spread around the world.

Characteristics of generation There are a number of things that can be mentioned, such as "emphasizing the importance of individuality," but I feel that a generation that values ​​each individual's individuality rather than being swallowed up by large social movements would be a good fit. In Japan, this generation experienced the bubble period in their youth. ``Reality Bites'' (1994) was a film that embodied the generation X generation.

“Reality Bites” preview

At the beginning of the movie, in her university The Graduate valedictorian speech, Relayna, played by Winona Ryder, expresses in one sentence how she should live her life, as opposed to the previous generation's lifestyle of working 80 hours a week to buy a BMW. do. That's "I don't know." It's a very open answer, but it can also be interpreted as an expression representative of Generation X.

Screenwriter Helen Childress was born in 1969. Right in the middle of Generation X. He wrote the script that became the basis for ``Reality Bites'' when he was 19 years old and a student at the University of Southern California. In 1991, he became a producer who worked on films such as " When We Reunite " (1983) and " Wonder and Pulp Fiction " (1994) and " Erin Brockovich " (2000). Michael Schanberg, thinking of making a new style of youth film, discovers Childress' script (at the time it was titled ``Blue Bayou''). Schanberg, who liked the story, decided to hire Childress as a scriptwriter after meeting Childress in person and hearing about her friendships and daily worries. Over The Day After three years, Childress drafted 70 patterns.

Actor Danny DeVito also joined as a producer. The Reality Bites project began in earnest, and Ben Stiller was approached to direct. Producers recognized Stiller's talent for his work as a writer and actor on " Saturday Night Live " starting in 1989, as well as on "The Ben Stiller Show," which aired on MTV. Stiller also became the director, helping Childress develop the script.

The studio gave the go-ahead with ideal casting.