Reality Bites is a 1994 romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Stiller, with major supporting roles played by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film was shot on location in Austin and Houston, Texas in 42 days. The plot is centered on Lelaina, an aspiring videographer working on a documentary called Reality Bites about the disenfranchised lives of her friends and roommates, and to a certain degree, about Lelaina herself. Their challenges, both documented and not, exemplify some of the career and lifestyle choices faced by Generation X.