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‘Reality Bites’ 25th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, and Chris Ryan

February 27, 2019 · Reality Bites (1994) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:38:31

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 18:41When do you think selling out started? When do you think the concept was? Who do you think the first?
Chris Ryan▶ 18:47The concept of selling out goes along with punk rock, and became more clear as independent music and cinema rose in the eighties
Chuck Klosterman▶ 18:26Why doesn't Ben Stiller's character let Winona Ryder see her edited documentary until it's being premiered - that's a weird twist

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 27:46The character Michael was supposed to be 35 years old and was originally selling insurance, which went through dozens of drafts
Chuck Klosterman▶ 30:14There are bonus scenes on the DVD including a removed scene where she explains to Ben Stiller why she chooses Troy, filmed in front of a water fountain but cut due to sound issues

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 40:41Melrose Place AIDS speech scene - 'My personal favorite. I'm just going to tell you that one wins.'
Chris Ryan▶ 41:22The 'All I Want Is You' montage scene where she's looking for him and goes to Stevie in the diner asking if he's okay
Chuck Klosterman▶ 38:32Prefers the scenes where Troy and Lainey fight rather than romantic scenes, finds their angry interactions validate their connection more than the walking/romantic scenes

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 46:24Multiple picks: Winona Ryder as Gen X Goddess, Janeane Garofalo's performance, Ethan Hawke's music in the film, Rolling Rock beer nostalgia, and the soundtrack featuring World Party, Crowded House, Squeeze, etc.
Chris Ryan▶ 49:36Winona Ryder and her performance in the movie
Chuck Klosterman▶ 48:31The naming of Ethan Hawke's band 'Hey, That's My Bike' as a perfect encapsulation of how bands were being named at that time

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 55:29Parker Posey — Shared casting trivia: Winona Ryder fought for Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow/Anne Heche/Parker Posey auditioned for Vicky's role, Parker Posey would have been great, Janeane Garofalo was fired then rehired
Chris Ryan▶ 56:19Winona Ryder — Praised Winona Ryder's influence in casting decisions, comparing her to LeBron James for getting Ethan Hawke signed and Janeane Garofalo traded back
Chuck Klosterman▶ 55:53Parker Posey — Parker Posey is the only person who could have done Vicky's role as well or better than Janeane Garofalo, but the casting is perfect and any changes to the four principals would make it a totally different movie

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:07Swoosie Kurtz — John Mahoney as Grant from Good Morning Grant, but switches to Chuck's pick of Smoosie Kurtz's husband (the guy who says 'get a Ford')
Chuck Klosterman▶ 57:47Swoosie Kurtz — The actor who plays Smoosie Kurtz's husband/Winona Ryder's mom's new husband - the guy who says 'get a Ford' and is funny in every scene

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:26Winona Ryder — Winona Ryder - yes, Ethan Hawke - no (Training Day was his apex)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:14U2 — Ethan Hawke - no (Training Day was his apex), U2 - yes
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:05:05Lisa Loeb — Winona Ryder - no (Heathers was more significant), Ethan Hawke - no (Training Day was his apex), Lisa Loeb - yes

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:36Swoosie Kurtz — Suggests Susie Kurtz's husband (whose name he doesn't know) and Joe Don Baker, but gets confused about the category definition
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:08:26Initially mentions the category but doesn't provide a clear pick amid the confusion about category definition

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:51Multiple quotes including 'If I could bottle the sexual tension between Bonnie, Franklin, and Snyder, I could solve the energy crisis', 'I'm not under any orders to make the world a better place', and several others
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:13:17The irony exchange: 'They asked me what irony is' and 'It's when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning'

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:37Winona Ryder — Winona Ryder - she single-handedly cast Ethan Hawke, saved Janine Garofalo's job, and made the movie happen
Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:19Ethan Hawke — Ethan Hawke - first face that jumps to mind when thinking of the movie
Chuck Klosterman▶ 1:27:09Ethan Hawke — Initially said Ryder, then switched to Ethan Hawke because he won both performance-wise and literally gets the girl, then wavered back toward Ryder

Movies Referenced (32)

Alive (1993)

5 mentions · Chuck Klosterman▶ 7:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Before Sunrise (1995)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dazed and Confused (1993)

4 mentions · Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons▶ 8:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pulp Fiction (1994)

4 mentions · Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons▶ 59:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beautiful Girls (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Proof of Life (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 56:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clerks (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Empire Records (1995)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 58:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 51:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

2 mentions · Chuck Klosterman▶ 8:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Chuck Close

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for Six Degrees of Separation▶ 1:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 7:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cameron Crowe

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 1:37:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sofia Coppola

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation▶ 6:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (55)

Ben Stiller

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, Chris Ryan · Known for Tropic Thunder, Zoolander▶ 6:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Winona Ryder

26 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, Chris Ryan · Known for Dracula▶ 5:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Janeane Garofalo

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for Ratatouille▶ 8:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Frampton

12 mentions · Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Almost Famous, Dazed and Confused▶ 19:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Zahn

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman · Known for Joy Ride▶ 34:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Mahoney

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Moonstruck, Barton Fink▶ 57:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Screaming Trees

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Chuck Klosterman · Known for True Lies, The River Wild, Singles▶ 3:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Simmons

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 57:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Pantoliano

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Memento, Bound, The Matrix▶ 1:08:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Melrose

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 40:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Parker Posey

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 55:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Penny Hardaway

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Blue Chips▶ 32:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Helen Childress

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Reality Bites▶ 59:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lily Taylor

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 33:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Chuck Klosterman · Known for The Other Guys▶ 12:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗