Ever since it was released in 1993 I have never figured out why Reality Bites became a popular movie? Was it because it was Ethan Hawke's most successful movie or was it because Reality Bites had the feel of a teen romantic comedy or was it simply because of the 90's storyline? Because at the time Reality Bites debuted it soon became an instant smash in theaters and the song Stay "I Missed You" became a hit for Lisa Loeb after it was the love theme in the movie. And the Reality Bites soundtrack became a top seller in 1994 and made the song My Sharona a hit again. I became a fan of the movie after buying the soundtrack and found that Reality Bites is actually a great movie. But it's amazing how this film became a 90's smash hit in theaters

It was a hit because of the My Sharona gas station scene.