The Dinner (2017)

Two sets of wealthy parents meet for dinner to decide what to do about a crime their sons have committed.

Director:

Oren Moverman

Writers:

Herman Koch (based on the novel by), Oren Moverman (screenplay by)

Stars:

Michael Chernus, Taylor Rae Almonte, Steve Coogan

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Chernus	...	Dylan Heinz
Taylor Rae Almonte	...	Kamryn Velez
Steve Coogan	...	Paul Lohman
Charlie Plummer	...	Michael Lohman
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick	...	Rick Lohman
Miles J. Harvey	...	Beau Lohman
Laura Hajek	...	Anna
Laura Linney	...	Claire Lohman
Richard Gere	...	Stan Lohman
Rebecca Hall	...	Katelyn Lohman
George Shepherd	...	Stephen Whitney (as George Shephard)
Adepero Oduye	...	Nina
Joel Bissonnette	...	Antonio
Patrick Kevin Clark	...	Conor
Chloë Sevigny	...	Barbara Lohman

Storyline

A former history teacher and his wife Claire meet at a fancy restaurant with his elder brother, a prominent politician and his wife Babette. The plan is to discuss over dinner how to handle a crime committed by their teenage sons. The violent act of the two boys had been filmed by a security camera and shown on TV, but, so far, they have not been identified. The parents have to decide on what to do.

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Plot Keywords:

wealth | father son relationship | mother son relationship | husband wife relationship | restaurant | 

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Taglines:

How far would you go...to protect your children?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content, and language throughout.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

La cena

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$655,493, 5 May 2017, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,322,839, 9 June 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

ChubbCo Film, Blackbird, Code Red

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This marks as the third collaboration between Richard Gere and Laura Linney. They previously appeared in Primal Fear (1996) and The Mothman Prophecies (2002).

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: The Dinner (2017)

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Soundtracks

These Days
Written by Jackson Browne
Performed by Nico
Courtesy of Republic Records
Under license from Universal MUsic Enterprises

User Reviews

A Complicated Story About Decision Making

The Dinner is a slow paced film about human relations and decision making. To begin with, the cast excellent and its acting is equivalent of their acclaimed career. Geere performs compellingly a senator whose troubled relationship with his mentally unstable brother (Coogan) is about to reach a critical point because of a sudden accidental incident about their children. Their wives (Linney and Hall) are desperately trying to influence their final decisions. This film could also be a play because the story is based on the dialogues and not on scenery change. The script is well written and coherent while the character depth is very adequate. The final moments of the film will find the audience questioning themselves which decision they would make if they were experiencing the same circumstances. Drawbacks of this film include the slow pace and the sometimes persistent focus on Coogan's character. Despite these it is a worth seeing.