Main Cast: Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Ellen Barkin, Paul Reiser
Release Year: 1982
Country: US
Run Time: 110 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Writer-director Barry Levinson's autobiographical first feature fondly remembers his Baltimore youth. It's late 1959, and six guys in their early twenties are stumbling into adulthood, alternating responsibility with carefree time at their local diner. The story centers on the return from college of Billy (Tim Daly) to serve as best man at the wedding of his pal Eddie (Steve Guttenberg). Billy is consumed by a confusing relationship with a close female friend, while Eddie still lives at home, preparing a football trivia test for his fiancée and vowing to cancel the wedding if she fails. Other characters woven into the narrative include Boogie (Mickey Rourke), a womanizer with a gambling problem, and Shrevie (Daniel Stern), a music addict with a troubled marriage. Diner became known for its bittersweet comic screenplay and its remarkable cast, which also included Paul Reiser, Kevin Bacon, and Ellen Barkin. In order to capture the loose, laid-back dialogue of the diner scenes, Levinson directed them last, so that the actors would be more comfortable with each other. Diner was the first part of Levinson's "Baltimore Trilogy," followed by Tin Men (1987) and Avalon (1990). ~ Norm Schrager, All Movie Guide
Review
This talk-heavy comedy, set in 1950s Baltimore, marked Barry Levinson's directorial debut. Filled with excellent dialogue (the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award) and star-making performances, the largely-unknown-at-the-time cast includes Kevin Bacon, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Paul Reiser, and Ellen Barkin (it marked the big screen debuts of the latter two performers). The rampant immaturity of the male quintet of friends is amusingly lampooned in Levinson's clever and cutting script, a refreshingly honest depiction of an era often bathed in sepia-toned nostalgia. The male bonding rituals that tie together these aimless protagonists are presented as both childish and endearing, allowing the audience to laugh both with and at the protagonists. The setting is an immaculate and loving recreation of Levinson's childhood haunts, and the wonderful soundtrack makes the retro-experience complete and fulfilling. Diner was the first of Levinson's so-called Baltimore trilogy, which includes Tin Men (1987) and Avalon (1990). His television series of the mid-1990's, Homicide, was likewise set in his beloved Baltimore. ~ Dan Jardine, All Movie Guide
Michael Tucker - Bagel; Kathryn Dowling - Barbara; Jessica James - Mrs. Simmons; Colette Blonigan - Carol Heathrow; John Aquino - Tank; Nat Benchley - Technical Director; Claudia Cron - Jane Chisholm; Kelle Kipp - Diane; Mark Margolis - Earl Maget; Richard Pierson - David Frazer; Steve Smith - Announcer; Ralph Tabakin - TV Customer; Barney Cohen - Knocks; Alan Kaplan - Bagel's Friend; Brian Costantini - Drunk at Wedding; Clement Fowler - Eddie's Father; Marvin Hunter - Newscaster; Bruce Kluger - Guy at Fool Hall; Arnold Mazer - Gripper; Florence Moody - Waitress; Sharon Ziman - Bride; Ellen Chenoweth; Tom Tammi - Howard; Allison Caine
Credit
Leon R. Harris - Art Director, Gloria Gresham - Costume Designer, Win Phelps - First Assistant Director, D. Scott Easton - First Assistant Director, Barry Levinson - Director, Stu Linder - Editor, Mark Johnson - Executive Producer, Bruce Brody - Composer (Music Score), Ivan Kral - Composer (Music Score), Irving Buchman - Makeup, Ted Bafaloukos - Production Designer, Gene Rudolf - Production Designer, Peter Sova - Cinematographer, Jerry Weintraub - Producer, R. Chris Westlund - Set Designer, Darin Knight - Sound/Sound Designer, Barry Levinson - Screenwriter
Set in Baltimore in 1959, Diner tells of the story of a group of male, high school friends, now in their twenties, who reunite for the wedding of one of their group. The title refers to the Fells Point Diner, the group's regular late-night hangout. The semi-autobiographical film explores the changing relationships among these friends as they become adults through what is mostly a series of vignettes rather than a traditional narrative. Much of the film is unscripted, Levinson preferring to use ad libbing to capture naturalistic camaraderie on the screen.
The film inspired a television pilot that aired on CBS in 1983 written and directed by Levinson. Mike Binder starred as Eddie, Paul Reiser returned as Modell, Michael Madsen took over as Boogie and James Spader was Fenwick.
