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Aww, why am I picking on little Post-Grad? This modest movie starring Rory Gilmore and Matt Saracen is completely minding its own business and is totally harmless, but still -- I keep seeing the commercials for it, and I can't helped but be irked by all the things whoever made Post-Grad (the person who directed Shark Tale? And the person who wrote a thing Demi Moore directed?) lifted from Reality Bites.
Admittedly, growing-up-is-hard movies all kind of blend together anyway, but aside from the botched job interviews montage (a must!), there are some very specific Reality Bites parallels in the Post-Grad trailer alone -- I can only imagine how many there are in the actual film. The trailer starts out with a graduation scene and a jaded comment from Rory's buddy/love interest Saracen while he's snapping a photo: "Everybody say overpriced education!" It's not a video camera, and he's a nicer guy than Ethan Hawke's character was, but this guy has everything. Figured. Out. While still being completely directionless and so in love with his best friend all he can do is get on stage and sing her a song in a bar. How could I not notice how much I've seen that before? 1994 wasn't that long ago.
So she's torn between him, this important part of her past and ideals, and this new, grown-up, corporate guy (Paolo from Lost, as TV talk show producer Ben Stiller) who doesn't keep reminding her of everything she'll have to compromise in order to be successful. Her quirky, upper class indulgent name is Ryden, which I can't figure out if that's less or more annoying than Winona Ryder's Lelaina, she lives with her parents instead of off their gas card when her job quest doesn't work out, the random comedian playing it straight here is Demetri Martin in lieu of Janeane Garofalo, the hip soundtrack-of-the-times contains The Bird and The Bee and Lily Allen standing in for Dinosaur Jr. and Juliana Hatfield, the stern dad who doubts her is Michael Keaton, arguably an upgrade from the unknown who played Lelaina's condescending father, and her plucky, give-em-hell mom is played by Jane Lynch, because Swoosie Kurtz is too old for this shit.
Notable difference, though: Ryden's (way worse than Lelaina, I just decided) parents are still married, whereas Lelaina's parents, of course, were bitterly divorced. So see! Totally new, fresh and necessary movie!
Aww, I'm a jerk. Go see Rory and Saracen in the movies! They're all grown up!
So she's torn between him, this important part of her past and ideals, and this new, grown-up, corporate guy (Paolo from Lost, as TV talk show producer Ben Stiller) who doesn't keep reminding her of everything she'll have to compromise in order to be successful. Her quirky, upper class indulgent name is Ryden, which I can't figure out if that's less or more annoying than Winona Ryder's Lelaina, she lives with her parents instead of off their gas card when her job quest doesn't work out, the random comedian playing it straight here is Demetri Martin in lieu of Janeane Garofalo, the hip soundtrack-of-the-times contains The Bird and The Bee and Lily Allen standing in for Dinosaur Jr. and Juliana Hatfield, the stern dad who doubts her is Michael Keaton, arguably an upgrade from the unknown who played Lelaina's condescending father, and her plucky, give-em-hell mom is played by Jane Lynch, because Swoosie Kurtz is too old for this shit.
Notable difference, though: Ryden's (way worse than Lelaina, I just decided) parents are still married, whereas Lelaina's parents, of course, were bitterly divorced. So see! Totally new, fresh and necessary movie!
Aww, I'm a jerk. Go see Rory and Saracen in the movies! They're all grown up!
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I don’t even think it’s fair to compare these two films. “Reality Bites” is by far a much more superior film than this one. Not to mention that Winona Ryder is a far better actress than this girl, as well! “Reality Bites” if it hasn’t already, will go down as a Gen-X classic and this one will, well…not!
I think this would have been better as a TV show. When I first read about it, I thought it WAS a TV show. Does the studio really think Alexis Bledel is a big box-office draw?
Also, Ryden?
2 questions:
1.How can you say it is ripping off a movie when all you have to go on is a trailer with some thinly veiled comparisons.
2.How can someone say a movie is better than another if you haven't even seen it yet?
I just don't understand people sometimes. It could be complete crap, but my thought is that I have no idea how Post-grad is going to turn put (plot-wose anyways) but I can't judge it based on a commercial alone.
That was no unknow playing Leilana's dad - that was Joe Don Baker - Mitchell!
If Matt Saracen is in it then I'm there!
Thank you! I thought the exact same thing when I saw the trailer for this movie. At least it isn't a remake of Reality Bites?
Similar premise and love triangle, but a different generation and different circumstances. I'm guessing there's not a lot of pot smoking in this movie (and if there is, I'm betting it's done by Carol Burnett's character).
Frist of all, Reality Bites was 15 years ago. Second, I kind of hated Reality Bites -- very Gen-X: bitter, pretentious, and self-obsessed. Third, I love (a) the book version of Post-Grad, (b) Alexis Bledel, and (c) Zach Gilford. ...So -- as much as I generally love and agree with you guys here at TWOP -- in this case, I'm ignoring your review and seeing it anyway.
The error was so egregious that it must be mentioned again. Joe Don Baker played Winona Ryders dad in Reality Bites, and he is not an "unknown". He was Sheriff Buford Pusser for heavens sake! But I cannot lament the ripping off of Reality Bites, mostly because Reality Bites was an overrated, cutesy bit of Gen-X "coming of age" film-making. And I say that as a proud member of said Gen!
As a recent graduate who had a job offer fall through at the last minute forcing me to move home (something I never expected), I am thrilled this movie is coming out. I love Reality Bites, and it never occurred to me there were similarities. Since it hasn't come out yet, I can't judge Post Grad (unlike some people it would seem), but I think you're reaching for comparisons. Someone growing up having to chose between new and old loves and what they symbolize is hardly something Reality Bites invented.
I hated Reality Bites. Post-Grad looks a lot cheerier, and like the characters maybe aren't assholes, so I already like it better.
I really didn't make the connection, to be honest, and I still don't see it.
Nothing will make me run crying from a bar less than some d-bag angrily singing the Violent Femmes 'Add It Up' at me.
I know that Reality Bites was the hipster film of the moment years ago but it has not withstood the test of time, and I try to avoid watching it on cable. My favorite characters were the supporting actors not the leads. That being said, I find the trailers for Post Grad to have the very slimmest of connection to that film and am quite able to label it as unintresting based on its on boring premise. There is nothing about this film that makes me want to go see it.
By the way, even with the killer U2 song played by Ethan Hawke, I still thought his character was a bit of a a**hole.
Also Joe Don Baker is most certainly a somebody, not only was he Sheriffe Bufford Pusser, he was also in the Bond films and many other great films.
Ryden is a shite name. I mean, really.
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I like your site but there seems to be an awful lot of garbage comments on this page that make no sense.