Diner (1982)

A group of college-age buddies struggle with their imminent passage into adulthood in 1959 Baltimore.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer:

Barry Levinson

Stars:

Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Guttenberg	...	Edward 'Eddie' Simmons
Daniel Stern	...	Laurence 'Shrevie' Schreiber
Mickey Rourke	...	Robert 'Boogie' Sheftell
Kevin Bacon	...	Timothy Fenwick Jr.
Tim Daly	...	William 'Billy' Howard (as Timothy Daly)
Ellen Barkin	...	Beth Schreiber
Paul Reiser	...	Modell
Kathryn Dowling	...	Barbara
Michael Tucker	...	Bagel
Jessica James	...	Mrs. Simmons
Colette Blonigan	...	Carol Heathrow
Kelle Kipp	...	Diane
John Aquino	...	Tank
Richard Pierson	...	David Frazer
Claudia Cron	...	Jane Chisholm

Storyline

Early twenty-something Baltimoreans Eddie, Shrevie, Boogie, Billy, Fenwick and Modell have been friends since they were kids, where the center of their lives has been and still is the Fells Point Diner. It's the last week of 1959. Baltimore Colts fanatic Eddie is scheduled to get married to Elyse on New Year's Eve, but may call off the wedding if Elyse doesn't pass his Colts quiz which he will hold two days before the scheduled wedding. Inexperienced Eddie turns to the only other married one among the bunch, electronics salesman and music aficionado Shrevie, for advice, he who may not be the best person from who to ask advice on marriage since he doesn't yet realize that he probably got married to his wife Beth for the wrong reasons. Indeed, Beth, who has lost her sense of identity, is unhappy in their marriage, and contemplates having an affair with someone who provides what she believes is a sympathetic shoulder. Hairdresser and law school student Boogie is the player of the bunch, ...

---

Plot Keywords:

baltimore maryland | 1950s | diner | salesman | directorial debut | 

---

Taglines:

Suddenly, life was more than french fries, gravy and girls.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

At times during filming, when friction between actors got out of hand, Barry Levinson ushered them into a small trailer, that the cast nicknamed "The Comaraderie Camper".

---

Goofs

The grip Mrs. Simmons has on the knife when she is chasing Eddie around the kitchen table.

---

Quotes

Shrevie: Ok, now ask me what's on the flip side.
Beth: Why?
Shrevie: Just, just ask me what's on the flip side, OK?
Beth: What is on the flip side?
Shrevie: Hey, Hey, Hey, 1958. Specialty Records.
[Beth nods blankly]
Shrevie: See? You don't ask me things like that, do you? No! You never ask me what's on the flip side.
Beth: No! Because I don't give a shit. Shrevie, who cares about what's on the flip side about the record?
Shrevie: I do! Every one of my records means something! The label, the producer, the year it was made. Who was copying whose style... ...

---

Crazy Credits

The end credits run as we hear another diner conversation between the guys.

---

Alternate Versions

ABC edited 16 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.

---

Connections

References The Seventh Seal (1957)

---

Soundtracks

Goodbye Baby
Performed by Jack Scott
Courtesy of Carlton Record Corporation

User Reviews

"Just say it! 'I want the roast beef sandwich!'"

"Diner" is a fun-filled, perfectly inspired comedy/drama, which is talented director Barry Levinson's first effort. Needless to say, there's no strong plot structure, but when you have solid, memorable characters like these, that's not necessary. Almost every one of these characters are memorable in their own ways. Nobody "steals the show."

The cast is highly spirited, as I sensed great joy in their performances. The chemistry between the characters is very genuine, and not surprisingly Barry Levinson made sure the actors got well-acquainted with each other before shooting.

I can tell Levinson based many of these scenarios on real-life situations. Scenes like these cannot be developed in the mind of some phony Hollywood hack screenwriter. The nostalgia practically bleeds out the screen, in his solid attention to detail. And that's one of the reasons why this film works. I can actually imagine Levinson sitting back and watching the film with a big smile, chuckling intermittently as he reminisces back to moments from his adolescence. When a director is joyful about his work, that joy transfers to his audience. One of the scenes in which that joy is most evident is when Daniel Stern's character throws a fit about his girlfriend, Ellen Barkin, wrongly categorizing his records and never asking him "what's on the flip side?" Levinson obviously has a passion for the music of his time, and rightfully so, because a lot of great music comes from the 50's. And lucky for me, the film's soundtrack is filled with many of those great tunes.

There are many memorable moments and lines of dialogue. The football quiz is definitely something to be remembered. But my favorite is the famous "roast beef sandwich" argument. Paul Reiser asks Steve Guttenberg if that's a roast beef sandwich he's eating, and Guttenberg can sense he wants a bite from the sandwich, so he yells out, "Just say it! 'I want the roast beef sandwich!'" It's a brilliant, "Seinfeld"-type scene which revolves around a banal subject, but you can't help but be delightfully amused, because let's fact it--the things we relate most to are the simple things in life. Movies about politics can be interesting, but what if you're not a politician or someone who doesn't give a damn about politics? Eating is someone everyone can relate to. Friendship is something everything can relate to. And male bonding is something all men can relate to.

If "Waiting to Exhale" best demonstrates the strength of female bonding, I feel this film best demonstrates the strength of male bonding. I used to feel that women had a stronger bond, since they're more affectionate and in touch with their feelings. But when jealousy enters the equation, even the most long-term friendship between two women can be butchered. I've actually talked to several women who feel more comfortable with male friends, and don't very much trust other women. However, guys stick together. We may badmouth each other left and right and bust each other's chops, but the bond remains the same. Some females may interpret this is as a misogynistic film, because other than Ellen Barkin's character, there are no major or supporting female characters. And Steve Guttenberg's would-be wife is never revealed--at least her face is never shown. But this is simply to stress the theme of male bonding; not to show that women aren't important.

"Diner" is a film for those who enjoy funny, moving, character-driven nostalgia films with fine actors. Hell, even Mickey Rourke, who I'm not a big fan of, gives a fine three-dimensional performance. But everyone in the cast is worth praising in equal doses: Daniel Stern, Paul Reiser (despite his brief screen time), Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Diner

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$14,099,953

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,099,953

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), SLM Production Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1