Reality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and directed by Ben Stiller. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Stiller, with supporting roles by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The plot follows Lelaina (Ryder), an aspiring videographer working on a documentary called Reality Bites about the disenfranchised lives of her friends and roommates. Their challenges exemplify some of the career and lifestyle choices faced by Generation X.
The film's soundtrack includes songs by U2, Lenny Kravitz, World Party, Squeeze, The Knack (“My Sharona” featured prominently in one scene from the film), Juliana Hatfield, Dinosaur Jr, and Crowded House in addition to the runaway hit “Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb, which earned Loeb the distinction of being the first artist to top the Hot 100 before being signed to any record label.