- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
- 85
Here's a fun movie fan-fiction based on the colorful 1990s sociocultural film Reality Bites (Ben Stiller), starring Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder. This is a short-story reflecting my interests in Americana youth culture and its special relationship with educational darts. Hope you like it,
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My name's Troy. I'm from Algeria originally, but I'm biracial and a US citizen currently living in La Jolla (California) after graduating from UCSD with a dual degree in literature and psychology. I live in a beach-house near Tourmaline, near Opal Street, and share it with colorful house-mates I met in California. I consider myself a pensive nerd with an edge on American life. I also harbor a deep secret whom I don't know if I should share.
Here's my house on Opal Street. We share rent with all the house-mates living there currently, including the lovely young lady Lelaina, a graduate of UCLA, a sharp-witted mod-girl who's much smarter than me. Lelaina insists I'm a slacker and delinquent on my rent payments which she sometimes covers with her somewhat high-paying office job in San Diego. Our Opal Street beach-house is both idyllic and nice.
If you've never been in southern California, you're missing out. The Pacific Ocean is way better (and cleaner!) than the Atlantic on the East Coast. I grew up on the East Coast but moved to California after becoming somewhat alienated from my father, though I keep constant contact with my mother in Manhattan by telephone. Living in southern California is something every good American should strive to do if possible, my friends.
My house-mates are incomparable. Some of them work and others are looking for work. We're all good-hearted American citizens, and mostly law-abiding. We're good folks. You want to attend our infrequent beach parties too. We're good folks.
CHARLENE: Troy is awesome!
KEN: Troy is a slacker.
DAVE: Troy's in love with Lelaina.
LELAINA: Troy's a slacker.
I'm in love with Lelaina, it's true. Though, I've never disclosed this to her or my deep secret. I want to tell her my secret. However, I first need to tell her that I'm in love with her...truly and deeply. She's so much like me and yet so much not like me. It's spooky!
TROY: I prepared this Valentine's Day brunch for you in our lovely house, Lelaina!
LELAINA: I admit, Troy, this is scenic and portrait-friendly, but you need to get a job.
TROY: Thanks, Lelaina.
Here's my secret. I'm a bank robber. I haven't told Lelaina. I've robbed over 10 banks all over California and deposit the 'earnings' in my private Swiss bank accout. I send money home to my mom in Manhattan. I use some to bet on sports. I use some to buy party supplies. I need a good cover employment, as Lelaina keeps telling me. My bank robbery disguises are really great. I don't know how to come out to Lelaina.
TROY: I have a water-gun filled with corrosive acid.
BANK MANAGER: You're nuts!
TROY: Hey, pal, I'm hyping the dangers of chemical weapons.
BANK MANAGER: What do you want, man?
TROY: Just $1 million in cash.
BANK MANAGER: We'll catch you, thief.
TROY: Right...this is a lovely bank though, sir.
BANK MANAGER: Right.
Robbing banks is an art form. Back in the day, in the days of the Wild West and Great Depression, bank robbers were deified and romanticized in folk-tales. Now, we're mostly masked desperados and madmen remaining anonymous thankfully. Besides, everything is media-connected and under surveillance now, and everyone's a celebrity on Facebook, so who cares about a deified bank robber now anyways?
California cop Leo Stansfield is after me. He believes the string of bank robberies attached to me all lead to me. He's smart and deadly. I'm avoiding him like the Plague. He's my nemesis, but I think deep down he likes me.
TROY: I've given up on Lelaina, Kristin.
KRISTIN: We all thought you'd end up together, Troy!
TROY: I think I like you more.
KRISTIN: Should I feel flattered?
TROY: We've always had a thing, Kristin.
KRISTIN: I suppose now's a time to investigate that!
TROY: Let me love you.
KRISTIN: You're drowning, Troy; but you're charming me.
Meanwhile, Lelaina has started to fall in love with her much more normal and sane and responsible San Diego office co-worker Michael. This guy's a real American. He's a yuppie with a taste for legal comforts. Lelaina's gonna marry him, I think. She'll never learn about me, I think. Even I like Michael!
CHARLENE: Living in our beach-house on Opal with Troy and Lelaina reminds me of the value of thinking of medical testing merits.
DAVE: Yeah, living with those two 'pseudo-mods' reminds us all of the value of thinking practically of long-term life planning!
TROY: I dream of the day we have a dinner together with our future in-laws, Lelaina.
LELAINA: In your dreams, Troy!
TROY: What's wrong with an infrequent daydream, Lelaina.
LELAINA: Something to think about, Troy; maybe.
Will I get together with Lelaina or remain with Kristin, my current California sweetheart? Will I tell Lelaina of my long-term dream of leaving behind my life of strange crimes and settling down with someone who stirs my American heart? This is a real story, folks.
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"Money is everything" (Ecclesiastes)
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My name's Troy. I'm from Algeria originally, but I'm biracial and a US citizen currently living in La Jolla (California) after graduating from UCSD with a dual degree in literature and psychology. I live in a beach-house near Tourmaline, near Opal Street, and share it with colorful house-mates I met in California. I consider myself a pensive nerd with an edge on American life. I also harbor a deep secret whom I don't know if I should share.
Here's my house on Opal Street. We share rent with all the house-mates living there currently, including the lovely young lady Lelaina, a graduate of UCLA, a sharp-witted mod-girl who's much smarter than me. Lelaina insists I'm a slacker and delinquent on my rent payments which she sometimes covers with her somewhat high-paying office job in San Diego. Our Opal Street beach-house is both idyllic and nice.
If you've never been in southern California, you're missing out. The Pacific Ocean is way better (and cleaner!) than the Atlantic on the East Coast. I grew up on the East Coast but moved to California after becoming somewhat alienated from my father, though I keep constant contact with my mother in Manhattan by telephone. Living in southern California is something every good American should strive to do if possible, my friends.
My house-mates are incomparable. Some of them work and others are looking for work. We're all good-hearted American citizens, and mostly law-abiding. We're good folks. You want to attend our infrequent beach parties too. We're good folks.
CHARLENE: Troy is awesome!
KEN: Troy is a slacker.
DAVE: Troy's in love with Lelaina.
LELAINA: Troy's a slacker.
I'm in love with Lelaina, it's true. Though, I've never disclosed this to her or my deep secret. I want to tell her my secret. However, I first need to tell her that I'm in love with her...truly and deeply. She's so much like me and yet so much not like me. It's spooky!
TROY: I prepared this Valentine's Day brunch for you in our lovely house, Lelaina!
LELAINA: I admit, Troy, this is scenic and portrait-friendly, but you need to get a job.
TROY: Thanks, Lelaina.
Here's my secret. I'm a bank robber. I haven't told Lelaina. I've robbed over 10 banks all over California and deposit the 'earnings' in my private Swiss bank accout. I send money home to my mom in Manhattan. I use some to bet on sports. I use some to buy party supplies. I need a good cover employment, as Lelaina keeps telling me. My bank robbery disguises are really great. I don't know how to come out to Lelaina.
TROY: I have a water-gun filled with corrosive acid.
BANK MANAGER: You're nuts!
TROY: Hey, pal, I'm hyping the dangers of chemical weapons.
BANK MANAGER: What do you want, man?
TROY: Just $1 million in cash.
BANK MANAGER: We'll catch you, thief.
TROY: Right...this is a lovely bank though, sir.
BANK MANAGER: Right.
Robbing banks is an art form. Back in the day, in the days of the Wild West and Great Depression, bank robbers were deified and romanticized in folk-tales. Now, we're mostly masked desperados and madmen remaining anonymous thankfully. Besides, everything is media-connected and under surveillance now, and everyone's a celebrity on Facebook, so who cares about a deified bank robber now anyways?
California cop Leo Stansfield is after me. He believes the string of bank robberies attached to me all lead to me. He's smart and deadly. I'm avoiding him like the Plague. He's my nemesis, but I think deep down he likes me.
TROY: I've given up on Lelaina, Kristin.
KRISTIN: We all thought you'd end up together, Troy!
TROY: I think I like you more.
KRISTIN: Should I feel flattered?
TROY: We've always had a thing, Kristin.
KRISTIN: I suppose now's a time to investigate that!
TROY: Let me love you.
KRISTIN: You're drowning, Troy; but you're charming me.
Meanwhile, Lelaina has started to fall in love with her much more normal and sane and responsible San Diego office co-worker Michael. This guy's a real American. He's a yuppie with a taste for legal comforts. Lelaina's gonna marry him, I think. She'll never learn about me, I think. Even I like Michael!
CHARLENE: Living in our beach-house on Opal with Troy and Lelaina reminds me of the value of thinking of medical testing merits.
DAVE: Yeah, living with those two 'pseudo-mods' reminds us all of the value of thinking practically of long-term life planning!
TROY: I dream of the day we have a dinner together with our future in-laws, Lelaina.
LELAINA: In your dreams, Troy!
TROY: What's wrong with an infrequent daydream, Lelaina.
LELAINA: Something to think about, Troy; maybe.
Will I get together with Lelaina or remain with Kristin, my current California sweetheart? Will I tell Lelaina of my long-term dream of leaving behind my life of strange crimes and settling down with someone who stirs my American heart? This is a real story, folks.
====
"Money is everything" (Ecclesiastes)
