The idea is not new. The idea is dangereous. I think Mel Gibson made a film similar... While I was watching this, I was thinking how stupid it should have been with Julia Roberts or Harrison Ford in it. But because it was made with a low budget, because the actors are not stars (both guys are very good), because it's away from Hollywood, it goes on very well, and had some sort of sincere credibility. The finale is a very warm touching love scene. Independant low budget films are the only ones representative of the US cinema. This is a good example of just simple quality film without millions or stars, or Oscars, or anything silly of< that sort.
40 Reviews
An all-time favorite
rbsjrx15 May 2004
As I noted in my review for "Quest For Love", there are very few films in the SF/Romance genre. It is, after all, a tough combination to do right. Fortunately, "Late For Dinner" does it right.
The plot has some similarities to Mel Gibson's "Forever Young". Both are the stories of someone being the guinea pig for a cryonics experiment, only to be thawed out many years in the future when their mate has aged without them. In this case, two brothers are frozen after an accident sends them on the run, accused of murder. One is Willy, a family man devoted to his wife and daughter. The other is Frank, mildly retarded and slowly dying of a degenerative incurable disease. Frank has become part of Willy's extended family, with everyone accepting his oddities and looking out for him. The issues we care about are the love story between Willy and his wife and whether there will be a cure for Frank's disease by the time he's thawed out.
What raises this above the Gibson film is that you believe from the beginning that the romantic leads (Willy and his wife) are really in love. The relationship of the two brothers is caring without being idealized - they fight and argue, but you believe in how much they really care for one another. In "Forever Young", the characters display none of the depth of feeling that you associate with real love. Gibson's character lives in the world of Hollywood script writers where all relationships are self-gratifying and transitory, while this film is firmly rooted in the world we've hopefully all lived in at some point in our lives and would like to believe we could live in forever.
The performances are excellent - touching without being maudlin. The three principles - Brian Wimmer, Peter Berg, and Marcia Gay Harden - are all totally believable. The secondary roles don't fail us, and especially so that of Colleen Flynn as Willy's grown daughter.
All SF requires that you suspend disbelief to some degree, but that requirement is minimal here. The characters and their actions are all totally believable. What's more, they're good people - not perfect, but good. You really want things to work out for them.
The plot has some similarities to Mel Gibson's "Forever Young". Both are the stories of someone being the guinea pig for a cryonics experiment, only to be thawed out many years in the future when their mate has aged without them. In this case, two brothers are frozen after an accident sends them on the run, accused of murder. One is Willy, a family man devoted to his wife and daughter. The other is Frank, mildly retarded and slowly dying of a degenerative incurable disease. Frank has become part of Willy's extended family, with everyone accepting his oddities and looking out for him. The issues we care about are the love story between Willy and his wife and whether there will be a cure for Frank's disease by the time he's thawed out.
What raises this above the Gibson film is that you believe from the beginning that the romantic leads (Willy and his wife) are really in love. The relationship of the two brothers is caring without being idealized - they fight and argue, but you believe in how much they really care for one another. In "Forever Young", the characters display none of the depth of feeling that you associate with real love. Gibson's character lives in the world of Hollywood script writers where all relationships are self-gratifying and transitory, while this film is firmly rooted in the world we've hopefully all lived in at some point in our lives and would like to believe we could live in forever.
The performances are excellent - touching without being maudlin. The three principles - Brian Wimmer, Peter Berg, and Marcia Gay Harden - are all totally believable. The secondary roles don't fail us, and especially so that of Colleen Flynn as Willy's grown daughter.
All SF requires that you suspend disbelief to some degree, but that requirement is minimal here. The characters and their actions are all totally believable. What's more, they're good people - not perfect, but good. You really want things to work out for them.
Nice Story And A Real 'Sleeper' Of A Film
ccthemovieman-113 April 2006
This was kind of a 'sleeper' in that I have never heard much about this film - it's not well-known, but it's very good: almost like an old-fashioned classic era story in that is guaranteed to bring a tear or two to your eyes at the end. I say "almost" because, unlike classic films, there is some profanity in here and a few unnecessary political cheap shots typical of Hollywood.
Otherwise, it's a nice drama (not a "comedy" as it's often labeled) featuring two men (brothers-in-law), one older one looking after his younger, mentally-slow relative. Brian Wimmer plays "Willie," the caring older in-law and Peter Berg is the younger "Frank." There is some action in the beginning, the film then turns a bit sci-fi as the brothers are accidentally frozen in time, and then the last third is a romance. Along the way, there is comedy from time to time.
In other words, you get a little bit of everything in here, but in the end it is a drama that entertains throughout the hour-and-a-half. I'm still waiting for this to be issued on DVD.
Otherwise, it's a nice drama (not a "comedy" as it's often labeled) featuring two men (brothers-in-law), one older one looking after his younger, mentally-slow relative. Brian Wimmer plays "Willie," the caring older in-law and Peter Berg is the younger "Frank." There is some action in the beginning, the film then turns a bit sci-fi as the brothers are accidentally frozen in time, and then the last third is a romance. Along the way, there is comedy from time to time.
In other words, you get a little bit of everything in here, but in the end it is a drama that entertains throughout the hour-and-a-half. I'm still waiting for this to be issued on DVD.
Sentimental favorite...
guirunkaryyk20 June 2004
Sure, this movie may be a bit on the predictable side, and the whole cryo-stasis thing might be a bit hard to swallow, but once you're able to get to the suspension of belief, what's left is a sweet, sentimental movie that's perfect for you and your special someone to cuddle up to as you watch.
Brian Wimmer and Peter Berg turn in terrific performances as brothers-in-law on-the-run from the authorities because of a crime they didn't commit. Wimmer comes across as being just as honest, caring and sincere as he needs to, which is considerable, since his character and performance depend on it. Berg, playing a somewhat-dimwitted man with a heart of gold is perfect, as he's often been in his minor, but memorable performances. The rest of the cast is more than competent, but the success of this movie depends on its two leads, and they come through with flying colors. You can't help but pull for these guys. One of the first thing a film-maker wants to do is get the audience interested and caring about the main characters, and trust me, you will be...
Funny and sweet, this is the perfect movie for a quiet night alone with your honey. If you consider yourself at all a romantic (love conquers all...and the like), you'll love this movie.
Brian Wimmer and Peter Berg turn in terrific performances as brothers-in-law on-the-run from the authorities because of a crime they didn't commit. Wimmer comes across as being just as honest, caring and sincere as he needs to, which is considerable, since his character and performance depend on it. Berg, playing a somewhat-dimwitted man with a heart of gold is perfect, as he's often been in his minor, but memorable performances. The rest of the cast is more than competent, but the success of this movie depends on its two leads, and they come through with flying colors. You can't help but pull for these guys. One of the first thing a film-maker wants to do is get the audience interested and caring about the main characters, and trust me, you will be...
Funny and sweet, this is the perfect movie for a quiet night alone with your honey. If you consider yourself at all a romantic (love conquers all...and the like), you'll love this movie.
it's more than two guys getting frozen for nearly 30 years...
oyvay19 November 2000
I just saw 'Late for Dinner' again on TV.
I forgot how much I liked it.
It's both simple and silly but it's also sweet and endearing.
I guess, for me it seems like an Australian film that was made in America. No big bang special effects. Great characters and a laconic but genuine feel about the story, the characters, and the overall impression.
Both guys are cute and believable in this really unbelievable yarn.
I cried when Willy met up with his 'old' wife Joy. They both did it so well.
No great intellectual challenges here...just a most enjoyable movie.
I forgot how much I liked it.
It's both simple and silly but it's also sweet and endearing.
I guess, for me it seems like an Australian film that was made in America. No big bang special effects. Great characters and a laconic but genuine feel about the story, the characters, and the overall impression.
Both guys are cute and believable in this really unbelievable yarn.
I cried when Willy met up with his 'old' wife Joy. They both did it so well.
No great intellectual challenges here...just a most enjoyable movie.
A diamond in the rough
becca1822 June 2002
When Willy and his brother in law Frank (Peter Berg) who is intellectually disabled run into some trouble after a misunderstanding with a land developer (Peter Gallager), which leaves Willy injured and the land developer dead, they leave there home town of Santa Fe and travel to California, where they are helped by a Dr who asks Frank if he could have a really good nights sleep and wake up with a new kidney (Frank has health problems besides his disability), would he be willing to try it, Frank wholeheartedly agrees accept Willy and Frank are cryongenically frozen and woken up 29 years later after the tanks they are in become damaged from a cable reel falling through the roof of the warehouse they are in, They then embark on a journey home to Santa Fe to get there lives back, however what they once had may not be so easy to get back, as they discover. This movie although not a smash hit or a box office hit, was in my mind quite good, Peter Gallager as the slimey land developer delivers a steller performance and Peter Berg as Frank delivers one of his best performances to date, though I am biased in that regard as I absolutely love this actor and have been following his career religiously for a while now. I'd recomend this film to all audiences, young and old.
Nice, gentle movie
RondoHatton7 December 2003
I was spurred to do a quick review since "Late For Dinner" was shown today on one of my pay channels. My Comcast "interactive" program info, which I understand is furnished by TV Guide,(those well-known pimps for the big networks, E!, People magazine, & other arbiters of "taste") gave this move 1 Star on a scale of 5. I did a little scanning, and such "winners" such as Austin Powers(4), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome(2), and The Burning Bed(5) with Farrah Fawcett, got better ratings than this wonderful little movie. However, Amazon reviewers average nearly 5 stars for this movie. "Late For Dinner" is a perfect example of the terms "overlooked" and "underrated". The cast is perfect, and apart from Peter Berg, Peter Gallagher, and Marcia Gay Harden, has pretty much vanished without a trace. Brian Wimmer is great as Willie, the "hero", who comes home after nearly 30 years on ice in Pomona.
An enjoyable Sunday matinee
callmurf11 July 1999
Sure, this isn't a film that rocked the movie theater, but it is a nice little picture; an enjoyable Sunday TV matinee. The premise is a little hokey, "time travelers frozen". But this is not Science Fiction here, it is only the vehicle for the story. The theme is Love: and what love it should aspire to be, something that prevails over time and the physical.
The performances, such as Peter Berg's lovable uncle, are endearing as they create this strong, believable family. In short, I cared about these people and I wanted to see them make this great love work.
To really enjoy this movie you need to suspend your disbelief a little. If you look beyond the premise and focus on the characters, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
The performances, such as Peter Berg's lovable uncle, are endearing as they create this strong, believable family. In short, I cared about these people and I wanted to see them make this great love work.
To really enjoy this movie you need to suspend your disbelief a little. If you look beyond the premise and focus on the characters, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
a flick with Brian Wimmer, you get the idea!
renaldo and clara27 August 2000
Warning: Spoilers
It helps to have a really attractive leading man (Wimmer) to make a solid comedy/romance/ even better.
But the real innovation comes from Peter Berg's character. He plays the brother of his friend's wife. Anyway, the way he says his lines (and the lines themselves) has been reflected many times since-still-today- as the innocent, goofball, emotionally unstable (but in a kind, sensitive way) sidekick. i think he may have been the first to play a role that was goofy and loveable, yet the most honest character in the story. This kinda started a genre of these kind of characters for TV sitcoms.
----------SPOILER WARNING!----------------
It might've been also the first movie to deal with the problem where someone zips through about 30 years and oops! his wife is old! what's he gonna do w/her now? and actually has the man stay with an older wife, and live happily ever after! So sweet!
-Sep
But the real innovation comes from Peter Berg's character. He plays the brother of his friend's wife. Anyway, the way he says his lines (and the lines themselves) has been reflected many times since-still-today- as the innocent, goofball, emotionally unstable (but in a kind, sensitive way) sidekick. i think he may have been the first to play a role that was goofy and loveable, yet the most honest character in the story. This kinda started a genre of these kind of characters for TV sitcoms.
----------SPOILER WARNING!----------------
It might've been also the first movie to deal with the problem where someone zips through about 30 years and oops! his wife is old! what's he gonna do w/her now? and actually has the man stay with an older wife, and live happily ever after! So sweet!
-Sep
A new Approach
rod5264 April 2003
I just recently saw this film and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was not what I had expected. So many of the "freeze 'em" films take a comic or campy approach. But this film tries to deal with the actual problems that could arise if a person were able to disappear and then reappear some 30 years later. A nice treatment of the question.
A hidden treasure
shoosh11424 June 2001
I saw this movie when it debuted at the Boston Movie Festival and enjoyed it. It has become one of my guilty pleasure movies and I think that it is a hidden treasure. It was a sweet and charming film. I liked the relationship between the two main characters Willie Husband played by Brian Wimmer and Frank Lovegren played by Peter Berg.
If you lost your dad when you were a child...
Pauul-213 May 2000
...and had youthful dreams of his return, this movie will be cathartic for you. It will fill your heart. The first half of the film is rough, coarse, silly and contrived. The second half is a very well-tuned, sensitive portrayal of the dreamt-for return of your loved one. I'm 60 years old. This film has the greatest ending of any movie I have EVER seen.
I LOVE THIS MOVIE!
sjadelson28 March 2002
I heard about Late For Dinner about the time that Mel Gibson's "Forever Young" came out... some reviewer commented that LFD had done the concept previously and better. They were right!
My wife and I absolutely love this flick. It's funny, romantic, and heartwarming. It is NOT a time travel movie, although certainly it touches on certain SF concepts.
One of the few movies that I actually get teary over. It really should be released on DVD as soon as possible.
My wife and I absolutely love this flick. It's funny, romantic, and heartwarming. It is NOT a time travel movie, although certainly it touches on certain SF concepts.
One of the few movies that I actually get teary over. It really should be released on DVD as soon as possible.
perfectly simple, yet profoundly deep
xactlyme29 June 2005
this is one of those films i taped years back and pull out on occasion to delight and amuse. no one's ever heard of it yet they are always smiling when the credits roll. this film, in my opinion is one of those 'perfect' movies. where the direction, acting, and script are all in harmony. no gratuitous violence or sex, no dangling plot lines or questions, just concisely written, terrifically acted and superbly directed. yes, its a feel good, love story for the most part, but hardly sappy drek. i think what makes it so rich and satisfying is that it is character driven as opposed to, like so many films for the last few decades, shock and awe special effects. I'm a chick who, frankly, hates chick flicks. its hardly one of those.
A heart warming experience
mdbelty2 January 2000
I purchased this movie in a video store with no info on the box. What a great buy! It is on my list of all time favorites. The family love, loyality and tenderness in this film is so real you can almost feel it. If you haven`t seen it do yourself a favor and rent it. I`m sure every women out there will fall in love with Willy, I did.
One thing about this film......
DrowsyParrot10 February 2005
I've not seen this for several years, and I hope I'm not exaggerating this recollection, but there is one thing about this film that you might find interesting: one of the main characters is portrayed as mentally challenged. ("Mildly retarded" is an old fashioned way to put it.) Throughout, he is treated as a 'person', rather than a 'problem'. This character is done so well, and with such grace - and the manner in which he is treated by the other characters is so decent - that I would recommend seeing the movie if only for that. Otherwise, I remember it as a quirky, pleasant movie... the kind that you feel good about afterward, and were pleased to have spent some time with.
This is a simple, perfect, NEW type of Love Story.
jamesbass7 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
It's simple... but it's full of complex human emotion. What if? Consider a couple, caught in events beyond their control, separated by time (29 years to be exact), and reunited. Can true love withstand that kind of test? With the aid of the love of a brother and sister, and the unbreakable bond of father and daughter, and a few extra twists thrown in... well, almost anything is possible.
Our family considers this one of the few, unblemished perfect stories. I just don't understand why they've never seen fit to release it on DVD, as our VHS copy is starting to wear awfully thin. However... what a joy to share this with friends that have never seen it. The reaction is always the same... "How is it I've never heard of this?"
Oddly enough, this really is a science fiction. But that's just a minor plot device (fun though!) to help ask the questions about true love, family, friendship, honesty, devotion... oh it's just a goldmine of warm fuzzies.
If this movie needs an evangelist to carry it's message... I'll happily volunteer. See it... and love it like we do.
Our family considers this one of the few, unblemished perfect stories. I just don't understand why they've never seen fit to release it on DVD, as our VHS copy is starting to wear awfully thin. However... what a joy to share this with friends that have never seen it. The reaction is always the same... "How is it I've never heard of this?"
Oddly enough, this really is a science fiction. But that's just a minor plot device (fun though!) to help ask the questions about true love, family, friendship, honesty, devotion... oh it's just a goldmine of warm fuzzies.
If this movie needs an evangelist to carry it's message... I'll happily volunteer. See it... and love it like we do.
Well-written, great cast and good acting keeps this movie gem up and running...
Aura.B8 September 1998
I remember the first time I watched this film... At first I was reluctant to even stay in the room let alone watch it.. (I had no clue what the film was or was even going to be about) Luckily, I stayed. By the tail end of this film, I was laughing, crying even though I hate to, and ready to bounce out the door and research the actors/actresses starring in it ! I loved this film for it's humanity, wit, humor and well-written script. On the screen it came alive to me, portraying what I'm certain a lot of orphaned or widowed people wish would come true.
Great characters
redpenedtg8 June 2001
While this is not a classic film in any sense of the word, what sticks out in my mind are the characters. With a relatively silly plot, the actors do well in treating it seriously. The characters are colorful and the rapport seems genuine. This is a good rentable movie for dates and rainy nights.
An unforgettable move; the kind that makes an older person look back at 1962
milwhitt704 October 2005
I had never seen this actor, Brian Wimmer, before, but he did a fantastic job in this movie. Peter Berg was great as the sick and somewhat "slow" brother in law. It is a movie that would make any person look back to 1962 and and make you wonder about all how you would accept all this new technology if you suddenly woke up in 1991. It was even a little scary but I have seen it three times and finally taped it. I was at Edwards AFB in 1962 and had a cousin in Pomona that I visited often, and my uncle had a blue Ford Station wagon, so this put me closer to the movie than most people. The fact that Willie did not age and when he went back to Santa Fe to all the new changes, that was spooky. Then when he saw his wife, so much older, I felt so sorry for the time he had lost. Great movie #10.
A Real Sleeper........pun intended.
mrkoala-115 November 2005
This movie was made a year before Mel Gibson's "Forever Young". The story here is quite similar, but with the lower budget and it's own pace, "Late For Dinner" works better for me. I love Mel Gibson, but here the absence of a big box office name here puts the focus where it ought to be, on the story itself.
The first time I saw it, it struck me as a largely a no-name cast, but looking at it today I see it a bit differently......Marcia Gay Harden, Peter Gallagher, Kyle Secor and Janeane Garofalo are all there.
Like most films of this sort, it requires 'suspension of disbelief', but once you let go, it is a charming and very enjoyable film. Watch it with someone you love.
The first time I saw it, it struck me as a largely a no-name cast, but looking at it today I see it a bit differently......Marcia Gay Harden, Peter Gallagher, Kyle Secor and Janeane Garofalo are all there.
Like most films of this sort, it requires 'suspension of disbelief', but once you let go, it is a charming and very enjoyable film. Watch it with someone you love.
enjoy with someone close
jdxinlla30 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is the kind of movie you can spend wrapped in your other half's arms and enjoy. Too bad it has not been released in DVD.Watching a land tycoon try to ruin the life of a hard working man that is put out of work makes you think this is what can happen in the real world. What a way to get over on people and think because you have money and power you can do what you want. Going through what they went through with loosing many years of life and having the determination to get what is left back, makes you love this movie for what is worth. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you care for other people close to you. This movie was put in my top 10 without even trying. The cast could not have been better. The way you feel about them by the end of this event will make you watch this movie every time you feel the need.
I waited 25 years to see this...
Faena18 April 2015
... almost as long as the main characters were frozen. When this movie was released in 1991, I was fifteen. It caught my attention, but not my friends', and consequently, other movies were chosen for matinees. Late for Dinner slipped by, but never fell off my radar. I rarely rented VHS movies. Since the advent of DVD, I've become a voracious collector. I've had the DVD in my sights since 2011, but kept waiting for the price to drop to finally check out this film. When the Blu-ray was announced this year, I said screw it, it won't get any better than this, and bought it instantly. I finally watched Late for Dinner tonight after keeping it in the back of my mind for a quarter century.
My story doesn't have a happy ending.
I can understand why it didn't make a splash, and perhaps why it's W.D. Richter's second and (to date) final film.
It just doesn't work. At all.
The direction is amateurish, and it has some of the clumsiest acting I've seen in a major studio release. I attribute this criticism to the two male leads. Berg's performance is unconvincing, although I blame the script and Richter's choices first over the actor. Brian Wimmer, however, is woefully miscast. A different actor might have raised this material. The final scenes between Willie and Joy are the best example: The dude just murders it. It is utterly incompatible with his style. I actually think this scene could have saved the movie for me, if delivered with nuance and gravitas, but there is none. Clearly the man is a paid actor because he's talented, but sometimes casting the right person can make or break a production.
Had I seen Late for Dinner in 1991, would I have had a more favorable reaction? To be fair, I think so. The SNL sketch deep freeze plot might have seemed more cutting edge to me as a tenth grader. Still, the cryogenic company and its personnel are completely done away with as soon as Frank and Willie drive away from the complex. The sci-fi element is required for the story, but it's totally a square peg. The movie is unbalanced, no matter what decade I saw it in.
Anyway... that's my two cents. Glad I finally saw it.
My story doesn't have a happy ending.
I can understand why it didn't make a splash, and perhaps why it's W.D. Richter's second and (to date) final film.
It just doesn't work. At all.
The direction is amateurish, and it has some of the clumsiest acting I've seen in a major studio release. I attribute this criticism to the two male leads. Berg's performance is unconvincing, although I blame the script and Richter's choices first over the actor. Brian Wimmer, however, is woefully miscast. A different actor might have raised this material. The final scenes between Willie and Joy are the best example: The dude just murders it. It is utterly incompatible with his style. I actually think this scene could have saved the movie for me, if delivered with nuance and gravitas, but there is none. Clearly the man is a paid actor because he's talented, but sometimes casting the right person can make or break a production.
Had I seen Late for Dinner in 1991, would I have had a more favorable reaction? To be fair, I think so. The SNL sketch deep freeze plot might have seemed more cutting edge to me as a tenth grader. Still, the cryogenic company and its personnel are completely done away with as soon as Frank and Willie drive away from the complex. The sci-fi element is required for the story, but it's totally a square peg. The movie is unbalanced, no matter what decade I saw it in.
Anyway... that's my two cents. Glad I finally saw it.
a really touching movie
ChuckL449 October 1998
True, it may not be main stream sci-fi, but it does delve into cryogenics. All in all, I thought it was a sweet, touching, funny movie about being stuck out of place and out of time. Like they say, I laughed, I cried........I really felt for Frank and Willy. One of my all time favorite movies. Anyone who doesn't like this must also be big fans of Friday the 13th.
Will love prevail? You bet it will? Or will it?
arlenowitz27 December 2006
This is one of my favorite films that I can watch over and over again. Frank, who has kidney disease is with his friend and brother-in-law, Willy. Destiny takes hold of their lives as Frank is given the idea that if he takes a "very long one night sleep", that perhaps the next morning, he can just walk into a hospital and request a new kidney (when kidney transplants hadn't even been heard of). Frank and Willy find themselves in a new reality and find out how important real love truly is, and how easily it can be lost, in this science fiction romantic drama which I highly recommend. The film ends with one of the most wonderful songs sung by Linda Ronstadt, "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons".
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