Diner (1982 film)

Last updated

Diner
Diner-movie-poster-1982.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Barry Levinson
Written byBarry Levinson
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Starring
Cinematography Peter Sova
Edited by Stu Linder
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byMGM/United Artists Distribution and Marketing (United States)
United International Pictures (international)
Release date
  • March 2, 1982 (1982-03-02)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million [1] [2]
Box office$14.1 million [3]

Diner is a 1982 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. It is Levinson's screen-directing debut and the first of his "Baltimore Films" tetralogy, set in his hometown during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s; the other three films are Tin Men (1987), Avalon (1990), and Liberty Heights (1999). [4] It stars Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Paul Reiser, Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly and Ellen Barkin and was released on March 5, 1982. The movie follows a close-knit circle of friends who reunite at a Baltimore diner when one of them prepares to get married.

Contents

Plot

In 1959 Baltimore, friends Modell, Eddie, Shrevie, Boogie, and Fenwick attend a Christmas dance before driving to their usual late-night haunt, Fell's Point Diner. On the way, Fenwick stages a fake car accident, to his friends' annoyance. Boogie, a hairdresser and law student, has laid a $2,000 bet on a basketball game, and declines his family friend Bagel's offer to call off the bet. Modell accepts a ride home from Eddie while the others pick up another friend, Billy, in town to serve as Eddie's best man for his New Year's Eve wedding.

The next morning, Billy reunites with Eddie at his mother's house, and they visit their old pool hall. Shrevie, married to Beth and working as an appliance store salesman, learns from Fenwick that Boogie is taking a date to the movies. At a screening of A Summer Place , with his friends watching, Boogie tricks his date, Carol, into groping him through the popcorn carton on his lap. She runs from the theater in tears, but the smooth-talking Boogie convinces her it was an accident and their date continues; afterward, Billy punches an old high school enemy.

Billy visits Barbara, a friend working at the local TV station. At the diner, Shrevie discusses married life with Eddie, who is preparing a test of football knowledge for his fiancée Elyse, to determine if they will marry. Having lost his basketball bet, Boogie wagers with his friends that he can have sex with Carol. The group parts ways in the morning, and Boogie and Fenwick encounter an equestrienne named Jane. Meeting Barbara at church, Billy learns she is pregnant, the result of an unexpected night they spent together; she tries to dissuade him from feeling obligated to marry her.

Watching College Bowl , Fenwick is surprisingly knowledgeable and offers to help pay Boogie's debt. Shrevie loses his temper at Beth for disturbing his record collection, and storms out. Boogie consoles her, and Fenwick goes to ask his brother for money, but he refuses. Shrevie pulls Eddie and Billy from a screening of The Seventh Seal to corral Fenwick, who has drunkenly occupied the church's Nativity scene in his underwear, leading to their arrest.

In the holding cells, Eddie reveals that Elyse is taking his test the following night, and Billy faces down a belligerent drunk. Eddie, Shrevie, and Billy are bailed out by their fathers, but Fenwick's leaves him overnight. They meet Boogie at the diner, and he deduces Eddie is still a virgin, while Billy and Barbara discuss their predicament at the TV station. A lonely Beth visits Boogie at the hair salon, and he is threatened by his bookie, Tank. Learning Carol has the flu, which jeopardizes his bet, Boogie reminisces with Beth about their own past relationship, and they make plans for a tryst while everyone is busy with Elyse's test.

Shrevie, Fenwick, Billy, and Modell, along with Eddie's and Elyse's parents, await the results of the football test: Elyse fails by two points, and Eddie calls off the wedding. Boogie brings Beth a wig, secretly planning to disguise her as Carol to win the bet, and drives her to Fenwick's apartment. There, Fenwick and Shrevie hide in the closet to verify the encounter, but Boogie tells Beth the truth, urging her to work things out with Shrevie. Eddie and Billy visit a strip club, and Boogie arrives at the diner, where Shrevie and Fenwick warn him Tank is waiting. Boogie is ready to accept the consequences, but Tank reveals that Bagel has paid off the debt.

Billy commandeers a piano to lead the entire strip club in a rousing number, to Eddie's delight. There, Eddie decides to marry Elyse after all, and Billy assures Barbara he genuinely loves her. The wedding proceeds, themed around Eddie's beloved Baltimore Colts: Shrevie and Beth reconcile; Boogie, Billy, and Fenwick bring Jane, Barbara, and Diane; and Modell delivers a heartfelt speech. The movie ends as Elyse—whose face is never seen throughout the movie—tosses the bouquet, which lands on the friends' table.

Cast

Production

The film captures the changing relationships among a group of friends as they become adults largely through a series of vignettes, as opposed to a traditional narrative. Levinson encouraged improvisation among his cast to capture realistic camaraderie. [5]

During post-production, MGM executive David Chasman wanted to cut the scene about an unfinished roast-beef sandwich because it did not advance the story, but Levinson explained that the scene told audiences all they needed to know about the young men's friendship, their competitiveness, and their fears. [2]

Test screening reactions of the film were poor, prompting uncertainty from MGM over whether to release the film. [6] Attempting to get positive publicity for the film, executive producer Mark Johnson obtained a print without MGM's knowledge and screened it privately for Pauline Kael, whom his mother knew personally, as well as fellow critic James Wolcott. [6] Kael called MGM executives and made it clear she was going to write a rave review even if MGM did not release the film, and that other critics planned to do the same. [2] [7] [6]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 46 critics. The website's critics consensus states: "Diner transports audiences back to the 1950s with a refreshing lack of sentimentality, evoking the thrill of everyday life with its ensemble's potent chemistry and an authentic sense of spontaneity." [8] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 82 based on reviews from 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [9]

Pauline Kael of The New Yorker called it "A wonderful movie…It isn't remarkable visually, but features some of the best young actors in the country." [10] [2] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, writing: "Diner is often a very funny movie, although I laughed most freely not at the sexual pranks but at the movie's accurate ear, as it reproduced dialogue with great comic accuracy." [11] Variety wrote: "Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Paul Reiser and Timothy Daly are terrific as the friends as are Ellen Barkin and Kathryn Dowling as the two females involved with different group members." [12] [13]

Author Nick Hornby called the film "a work of great genius." [2] John Wells, executive producer for the TV series E.R. , estimated he saw the film thirty times in 1982 alone, and he makes a point to watch the film every year. [2]

Accolades

AwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Academy Awards Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen Barry Levinson Nominated [14]
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actor Mickey Rourke Won [15]
Best Screenplay Barry LevinsonWon
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated [16]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Screenplay Barry LevinsonRunner-up [17]
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actor Mickey RourkeWon [18]
Best Screenplay Barry Levinson2nd Place
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Screenplay Runner-up [19]
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Comedy – Written Directly for the Screen Nominated [20]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Adaptations

The film inspired a 1983 television pilot written and directed by Levinson. [22] Mike Binder starred as Eddie, Paul Reiser returned as Modell, Michael Madsen took over as Boogie and James Spader was Fenwick. [23]

Stage adaptation

A stage musical, with the book by Levinson and music by Sheryl Crow originally opened in Autumn 2013. Kathleen Marshall was the director and choreographer. A "creative workshop" reading was held in December 2011, directed by Kathleen Marshall. The musical opened at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia in December 2014 through January 2015, with direction and choreography by Kathleen Marshall. [24] Crow said: "And to think we are going to premiere it so close to Baltimore, where the story took place, at Signature Theatre, which has birthed so many new musicals, well, I couldn't be happier." [25] The cast for the Signature premiere included Matthew James Thomas as Fenwick and Derek Klena as Boogie. [26] The musical was presented at the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington, Delaware from December 2, 2015 (previews) through December 27, with Matthew James Thomas as Fenwick, Derek Klena as Boogie, Noah Weisberg as Shrevie and Brynn O’Malley as Barbara. [27] [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Goodbye Girl</i> 1977 film directed by Herbert Ross

The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Neil Simon and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings and Paul Benedict. The film, produced by Ray Stark, centers on an odd trio of characters: a struggling actor who has sublet a Manhattan apartment from a friend, the current occupant, and her precocious young daughter.

<i>Rain Man</i> 1988 film directed by Barry Levinson

Rain Man is a 1988 American road comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive and selfish wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond, an autistic savant whose existence Charlie was unaware of. Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting real-life savant Kim Peek; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter, a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of Bill, an earlier film that Morrow wrote.

<i>Ball of Fire</i> 1941 film by Howard Hawks

Ball of Fire is a 1941 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The Samuel Goldwyn Productions film concerns a group of professors laboring to write an encyclopedia and their encounter with a nightclub performer who provides her own unique knowledge. The supporting cast includes Oscar Homolka, S. Z. Sakall, Henry Travers, Richard Haydn, Dana Andrews, and Dan Duryea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauline Kael</span> American film critic (1919–2001)

Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael often defied the consensus of her contemporaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Levinson</span> American filmmaker

Barry Lee Levinson is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for Rain Man (1988). His other best-known works are Diner (1982), The Natural (1984), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Bugsy (1991), and Wag the Dog (1997). In 2021, he co-executive produced the Hulu miniseries Dopesick and directed the first two episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Reiser</span> American actor

Paul Reiser is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He played the roles of Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcom My Two Dads, Paul Buchman in the NBC sitcom Mad About You, Modell in the 1982 film Diner, and Detective Jeffrey Friedman in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. He has gained recognition for his roles as Jim Neiman in the 2014 film Whiplash and Dr. Sam Owens in the Netflix series Stranger Things.

<i>Avalon</i> (1990 film) 1990 film directed by Barry Levinson

Avalon is a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Elizabeth Perkins, Joan Plowright and Aidan Quinn. It is the third in Levinson's semi-autobiographical tetralogy of "Baltimore films" set in his hometown during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987), and Liberty Heights (1999). The film explores the themes of Jewish assimilation into American life, through several generations of a Polish immigrant family from the 1910s through the 1950s.

Alison La Placa is an American actress best known for playing Linda Phillips on the sitcom Duet and its spin-off Open House, and the recurring role of Joanna, Rachel Green’s boss who dated Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends.

<i>Funny Lady</i> 1975 musical film directed by Herbert Ross

Funny Lady is a 1975 American biographical musical comedy-drama film and the sequel to the 1968 film Funny Girl. The film stars Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowall and Ben Vereen.

<i>Liberty Heights</i> 1999 American comedy-drama film by Barry Levinson

Liberty Heights is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. The film is a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s. The film portrays the racial injustices experienced both by the Jewish and African-American populations. Both of Nate Kurtzman's sons find women "prohibited" to them: for Van because he is Jewish, and for Ben because he is white. Their father goes to prison for running a burlesque show with Little Melvin, an African-American and known local drug dealer.

<i>Tin Men</i> 1987 dark comedy film directed by Barry Levinson

Tin Men is a 1987 American comedy film written and directed by Barry Levinson, produced by Mark Johnson, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Danny DeVito, and Barbara Hershey. It is the second of Levinson's tetralogy of films set in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, along with Diner (1982), Avalon (1990), and Liberty Heights (1999).

<i>Till the Clouds Roll By</i> 1946 American Technicolor musical film by Richard Whorf

Till the Clouds Roll By is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker. Kern was involved with the production, but died before its completion. It was the first in a series of MGM biopics about Broadway composers.

<i>Pennies from Heaven</i> (1981 film) 1981 film by Herbert Ross

Pennies from Heaven is a 1981 American musical romantic drama film directed by Herbert Ross, based on the 1978 BBC television drama. Dennis Potter adapted his screenplay from the BBC series for American audiences, changing its setting from London and the Forest of Dean to Depression-era Chicago and rural Illinois.

<i>Its Always Fair Weather</i> 1955 film by Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

It's Always Fair Weather is a 1955 American musical satire directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The film was scripted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote the show's lyrics, with music by André Previn. It stars Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, and dancer/choreographer Michael Kidd in his first film acting role.

Michael Sragow is an American film critic and columnist who has written for The Orange County Register, The Baltimore Sun, Film Comment, the San Francisco Examiner, The New Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic and Salon.com. Sragow also edited James Agee's film essays, and has written or contributed to several other cinema-related books.

Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass is an American businessman who founded retailer Merry-Go-Round and a chain of restaurants named Boogie's Diner. His early life was portrayed by actor Mickey Rourke in the 1982 American film Diner.

Matthew James Elwyn Thomas, also occasionally credited as Matthew Thomas, is a British actor who has made appearances in television, film, and theater. He is known for his television roles including The Lost Prince, and the ITV drama-musical show, Britannia High. In the U.S., Thomas is best known for having played the title role in the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin, which received a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. He was also a late addition to the U.S. national tour of Pippin in 2014. He had his Broadway debut in 2010 playing Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark directed by Julie Taymor, with music by U2's Bono and The Edge.

<i>Independence Day</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Robert Mandel

Independence Day is a 1983 American drama film directed by Robert Mandel from a script by the novelist Alice Hoffman. It was designed by Stewart Campbell and shot by Charles Rosher. It stars Kathleen Quinlan, David Keith, Cliff DeYoung, Frances Sternhagen and Dianne Wiest.

Herbert S. Levinson was an American television and movie actor. Levinson played a variety of character roles, often set in Baltimore, Maryland. Most notably, he played the character Dr. Lausanne in the NBC police procedural series Homicide: Life on the Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Klena</span> American actor and singer

Derek Anthony Klena is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his work on Broadway, including originating the roles of Nick Healy in Jagged Little Pill (2019–2021), Dmitry in Anastasia (2017–2018), and Michael in The Bridges of Madison County (2014). His breakthrough was in the original Off-Broadway production of Pasek & Paul's stage adaptation of Dogfight, and he played Fiyero in the 10th anniversary company of Wicked on Broadway. Klena most recently portrayed Christian in the Broadway company of Moulin Rouge! replacing Aaron Tveit in the role on and off from 2022 to 2024. He has made appearances on several television series such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Code, and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

References

  1. ↑ "Diner (1982) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Price, S. L. (February 10, 2012). "Much Ado About Nothing". Vanity Fair . Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Diner (1982)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  4. ↑ Levinson, Barry (November 14, 1999). "Barry Levinson: Baltimore, My Baltimore". The New York Times .
  5. ↑ Serpick, Evan (April 1, 2012). "Diner: An Oral History". Baltimore Magazine.
  6. 1 2 3 Young, Paul F. (May 22, 1995). "Pauline Kael saved the 'Diner'". Variety . p. 111. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  7. ↑ Benenson, Laurie Halpern (April 11, 1993). "FILM; Time Drags and Rumors Fly When Movies Sit on the Shelf (Published 1993)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. M-G-M almost shelved Barry Levinson's 1982 film Diner after it tested poorly. It didn't open in Manhattan until Pauline Kael saw it and gave it a rave review in The New Yorker.
  8. ↑ "Diner (1982)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Diner". Metacritic . Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  10. ↑ Kael, Pauline (1984). "Comedians". Taking It All In . Henry Holt & Co. pp. 320–323. ISBN   978-0030693625 . Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  11. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1982). "Diner movie review & film summary (1982)". Chicago Sun-Times.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg
  12. ↑ "Diner". Variety . January 1, 1982.
  13. ↑ Osborne, Robert (April 2, 2022). "'Diner': THR's 1982 Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 2, 2022.
  14. ↑ "The 55th Academy Awards (1983) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  15. ↑ "BSFC Winners: 1980s". Boston Society of Film Critics. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Diner". Golden Globe Awards . Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  17. ↑ "The 8th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association . Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. December 19, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  19. ↑ "1982 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". Mubi . Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild of America Awards. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  21. ↑ "AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs". American Film Institute . Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  22. ↑ Corry, John (August 8, 1983). "TV: CBS Makes A Pilot From the Movie 'Diner'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  23. ↑ Cormier, Roger (August 5, 2013). "Actually, *Pushes Glasses Back Onto Face* the 'Diner' TV Pilot Was the First Show About Nothing". Vulture . Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  24. ↑ "The Verdict: Read Reviews of Sheryl Crow Musical 'Diner'". Playbill. December 29, 2014. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015.
  25. ↑ Gioia, Michael (March 18, 2014). "Signature's 25th Season Will Include Sheryl Crow's 'Diner', World Premieres from John Kander, Nick Blaemire and More". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014.
  26. ↑ Rosky, Nicole (November 4, 2014). "Signature Theatre Announces Cast for Sheryl Crows 'Diner'". broadwayworld.com.
  27. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (November 6, 2015). "Exclusive: Latest Incarnation of Sheryl Crow Musical 'Diner' Will Star Derek Klena, Matthew James Thomas and Noah Weisberg". Playbill. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  28. ↑ Simoes, Monica (December 10, 2015). "Onstage Pics! Delaware Theatre Company Serves Up the New Sheryl Crow Musical 'Diner'". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015.
  29. ↑ Marks, Peter (December 15, 2015). "'Diner': Improved, but it still needs more oomph". The Washington Post .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.