Steve Zahn says he came back from making 1994’s “Reality Bites” feeling poorer than before, not successful. On “Dinner’s On Me” with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, he said he was baffled by the experience and wasn’t recognized until much later in his career.
Zahn said the film was not “a monster thing” at the time, though it later became a cult classic for its portrayal of Gen X’s post-college experience. It follows Lelaina (Winona Ryder), who makes a documentary about her friends’ jobs and relationships after graduation; Ben Stiller directed and also starred.
In a 2024 interview, Ethan Hawke said he was proud of the film as a record of its time. He said he once worried it might hinder growing up, but later came to love it and praised Stiller as a director.
