A film for our generation and another reminder that Reality Bites.
It was my favorite movie in high school & remains on my list of all-time greats. The characters are quirky, smart, and funny & the storyline is an authentic portrayal of life after college & the daunting realities of the "real world". Plus, Ethan Hawke is so dreamy as Troy Dyer!
The cassette tape of the soundtrack became the music of my adolescence. My favorite songs were "All I Want is You" by U2 and "My Sharona" by The Knack. My bestie & I had the gas station dance routine to "My Sharona" down pat & we performed it every time we were together. Blasting the song & singing at the top of our lungs. Those were the days, no?
I curled up with the kitties tonight & watched Reality Bites for the hundredth time, but somehow this time was different. I could relate in high school & right after college, but not as much as I can now (6 years after graduation). It reminded me of how much we struggle to make something of ourselves, the things we give-up, and the compromises we make.
I was that idealistic college student once, with a romanticized view of the world and how things "should be". And the idea that all I needed was a brain, a good work-ethic, and an education in order to obtain success. All of which were crushed the moment I graduated and got a "real" job. But, I did what I was supposed to do. I found a career path, worked hard, brought home a nice paycheck, and advanced in my career. My recent lay-off from said career has set me back some & it seems that, given the current economic status, it may take a while to find employment in my field. Which is why, this scene is pure PERFECTION (I laughed and laughed)......
Lailana: Mom, I need to talk to you about a loan.
Step-dad: Is it for drugs?
Lailana: No, no. It's not for drugs. I was f.....I lost my job.
Charlane McGregor: But, you shouldn't have any trouble finding another job, sugar bugger.
Lailana: No. See, I tried. I applied for every single opening in my field. But, there's just....there's nothing right now.
Charlane McGregor: Hmm....well, I hate to say it, but times are hard. You're just gonna have to swallow your pride. Why don't you get a job at Burgerama? They'll hire you. My lord, I saw on the TV...they had this little retarded boy working the cash register.
Lailana: Because I'm not retarded, Mom. I was valedictorian of my university.
Step-dad: Well, you don't have to put that down on your application.
Yes, reality bites.
It was my favorite movie in high school & remains on my list of all-time greats. The characters are quirky, smart, and funny & the storyline is an authentic portrayal of life after college & the daunting realities of the "real world". Plus, Ethan Hawke is so dreamy as Troy Dyer!The cassette tape of the soundtrack became the music of my adolescence. My favorite songs were "All I Want is You" by U2 and "My Sharona" by The Knack. My bestie & I had the gas station dance routine to "My Sharona" down pat & we performed it every time we were together. Blasting the song & singing at the top of our lungs. Those were the days, no?
I curled up with the kitties tonight & watched Reality Bites for the hundredth time, but somehow this time was different. I could relate in high school & right after college, but not as much as I can now (6 years after graduation). It reminded me of how much we struggle to make something of ourselves, the things we give-up, and the compromises we make.
I was that idealistic college student once, with a romanticized view of the world and how things "should be". And the idea that all I needed was a brain, a good work-ethic, and an education in order to obtain success. All of which were crushed the moment I graduated and got a "real" job. But, I did what I was supposed to do. I found a career path, worked hard, brought home a nice paycheck, and advanced in my career. My recent lay-off from said career has set me back some & it seems that, given the current economic status, it may take a while to find employment in my field. Which is why, this scene is pure PERFECTION (I laughed and laughed)......
Lailana: Mom, I need to talk to you about a loan.
Step-dad: Is it for drugs?
Lailana: No, no. It's not for drugs. I was f.....I lost my job.
Charlane McGregor: But, you shouldn't have any trouble finding another job, sugar bugger.
Lailana: No. See, I tried. I applied for every single opening in my field. But, there's just....there's nothing right now.
Charlane McGregor: Hmm....well, I hate to say it, but times are hard. You're just gonna have to swallow your pride. Why don't you get a job at Burgerama? They'll hire you. My lord, I saw on the TV...they had this little retarded boy working the cash register.
Lailana: Because I'm not retarded, Mom. I was valedictorian of my university.
Step-dad: Well, you don't have to put that down on your application.
Yes, reality bites.
8 comments:
I love this movie. It was my fav in high school too! I graduated from college about 7 years ago now, I think I should watch it again. That scene is perfection :)
My all-time favorite movie!! It is so interesting how the messages change as you get older and look back at where you've been and what you did to get where you are now. All too often reality does, in fact, bite!
I have to rent!!!
Love it too! I think I need to see it again...
sweet curse of reality!
i was more of a "singles" gal back in those days (gasp!). matt dillon in long hair was my hearthrob sigh.
then i saw him in koreatown that one time--plastic surgery and beefy.
it was devastating.
Wowwwwwwww, that a brilliant post! I love that movie and your post makes me want to watch it again!
You know, I think I saw this movie too late in life and my aversion to Ethan Hawke probably squashed any other sense of identification I might have had.
The sentiments here, however, I identify with perfectly. People go on about your early 20s being the time of your life--no responsibilities, no kids, etc. But it's hard when you don't quite know what you're doing, most of the idealism that underlies the college classroom simply don't apply, and 40 hour weeks seem so daunting. I think only now, as I'm just about to turn 30, do I feel like I've got a better grasp on my life (though I'm sure I'll feel different when I'm 40!)
great post, Di! i haven't seen that movie in years! my how things change from that young twenty-something mentality where you feel like you can conquer the world and anything is possible...then you realize, a few years down the road, that it's just not that easy! reality is biting me really hard right now!
Post a Comment