Open any time capsule devoted to the early 1990s and, if the curator has
done it right, a shining copy of REALITY BITES awaits. The Rom-Com-Dram
features Winona Ryder (as Lelaina Pierce) fired from her production job
and attempting to find herself while juggling feelings for both the
angsty musician Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke at his hottest) and a yuppie faux
MTV exec played by Ben Stiller. Joining along this Generation X ride is
Janeane Garofalo as the disco-loving/GAP-employee roommate with some of
the best lines (“Evian is naïve spelled backwards!”) and Steve Zahn who
is struggling to come out to his parents. In addition to the fantastic
clothes, smoke-filled scenes, references to Melrose Place, and
slackerism at its best, the movie is also responsible for Lisa Loeb’s
song “Stay.”
REALITY BITES is part of the Fashion in Film series
curated by Eden Dawn, wardrobe stylist and Fashion Editor of Portland
Monthly, and Marjorie Skinner, writer, stylist, and founding author of
the Portland Mercury’s Sold Out fashion column. Together the two have
written the majority of fashion coverage for our fair city and have an
intense catalog of inspirational films influencing their style
decisions.