← Back to Reviews
in
Diner
Barry Levinson would eventually win an Oscar for directing 1988's Best Picture Rain Man, but the guy actually put himself on the map six years earlier with a gem from 1982, a great year in cinema, called Diner, a deliciously humorous slice of life coming of age story that looks at that period between college and career/marriage that can seriously impede lifelong friendships.
It's 1959 Baltimore (the first of four films Levinson set in this period) where we meet a group of guys who grew up together whose primary hangout is the Fells Point Diner. This very special circle of friends include Boogie (Mickey Roarke) a self-proclaimed womanizer with a gambling problem; Shrevie (Daniel Stern) is a television salesman whose marriage to Beth (Ellen Barkin) has him feeling like he's missing something; Eddie (Steve Guttenberg) has just gotten engaged but will call off the wedding if his fiancee can't pass an oral test about the Baltimore Colts; Fenwick (Kevin Bacon) is an unhinged firecracker who works tirelessly for the other guys' attention.
Levinson scores a direct bullseye here, proving that he was a writer and director to watch. His attention to period detail and his ear for 1950's dialogue is just uncanny. Levinson takes us back to a time and a way of life that is nothing but a dream but manages to still entertain contemporary audiences. Despite the 36 years that have passed since this film's release, it still felt fresh and funny and best of all, authentic to the period. From the music to the settings (especially that fabulous diner) to the french fries with gravy, everything that appears on the screen is absolutely 1959.
The other thing this film does so effective is absolutely nail the concept of friendship and how the waters of the concept are often quite muddy. The guys make it pretty obvious that Eddie making his fiancee pass a test on Colts trivia is ridiculous but they never actually say it to his face, They're even in the next room when he's giving the test! I loved when Modell (Paul Reiser) wanted some of Eddie's sandwich but Eddie wouldn't give him a piece because Modell wouldn't come out and ask. Also loved Shrevie's rant about putting his records away properly. If you have a BFF, there will be something in this film that will remind you of something that happened between you and your BFF.
Levinson managed to construct an intelligent story that definitely has a structure and a focus, but also has a very improvised feeling to it. That whole scene of discussing what singer they like to have for background during sex just feels totally off the cuff and totally real. Levinson's brilliant ensemble cast works because it is just that, an ensemble who serve the story and don't try to act over each other, something else for which Levinson must be credited. If you've never seen this quietly dazzling sleeper, please treat yourself.
Barry Levinson would eventually win an Oscar for directing 1988's Best Picture Rain Man, but the guy actually put himself on the map six years earlier with a gem from 1982, a great year in cinema, called Diner, a deliciously humorous slice of life coming of age story that looks at that period between college and career/marriage that can seriously impede lifelong friendships.
It's 1959 Baltimore (the first of four films Levinson set in this period) where we meet a group of guys who grew up together whose primary hangout is the Fells Point Diner. This very special circle of friends include Boogie (Mickey Roarke) a self-proclaimed womanizer with a gambling problem; Shrevie (Daniel Stern) is a television salesman whose marriage to Beth (Ellen Barkin) has him feeling like he's missing something; Eddie (Steve Guttenberg) has just gotten engaged but will call off the wedding if his fiancee can't pass an oral test about the Baltimore Colts; Fenwick (Kevin Bacon) is an unhinged firecracker who works tirelessly for the other guys' attention.
Levinson scores a direct bullseye here, proving that he was a writer and director to watch. His attention to period detail and his ear for 1950's dialogue is just uncanny. Levinson takes us back to a time and a way of life that is nothing but a dream but manages to still entertain contemporary audiences. Despite the 36 years that have passed since this film's release, it still felt fresh and funny and best of all, authentic to the period. From the music to the settings (especially that fabulous diner) to the french fries with gravy, everything that appears on the screen is absolutely 1959.
The other thing this film does so effective is absolutely nail the concept of friendship and how the waters of the concept are often quite muddy. The guys make it pretty obvious that Eddie making his fiancee pass a test on Colts trivia is ridiculous but they never actually say it to his face, They're even in the next room when he's giving the test! I loved when Modell (Paul Reiser) wanted some of Eddie's sandwich but Eddie wouldn't give him a piece because Modell wouldn't come out and ask. Also loved Shrevie's rant about putting his records away properly. If you have a BFF, there will be something in this film that will remind you of something that happened between you and your BFF.
Levinson managed to construct an intelligent story that definitely has a structure and a focus, but also has a very improvised feeling to it. That whole scene of discussing what singer they like to have for background during sex just feels totally off the cuff and totally real. Levinson's brilliant ensemble cast works because it is just that, an ensemble who serve the story and don't try to act over each other, something else for which Levinson must be credited. If you've never seen this quietly dazzling sleeper, please treat yourself.