Reality Bites

Almost inevitably, as the first mainstream Hollywood movie to focus on post-college 'Generation X'-ers, actor Stiller's directorial debut sets up all sorts of youth-cred expectations it then has a hard time fulfilling. Ryder plays recent graduate Lelaina Pierce, given the heave-ho by a Houston TV station and left to fend for herself in the harsh economic climate of the '90s. Luckily, though, love is there - but can she choose between muso Troy (Hawke), a goatee-sporting wastrel, or will it be smarmball MTV executive Michael (Stiller)? There's probably a moderate little romantic comedy crying to get out here, but the film's vain striving for casual hip proves suffocatingly obtrusive.