Diner

Diner (1982)

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

Set in 1959, Diner shows how five young men resist their adulthood and seek refuge in their beloved Diner. The mundane, childish, and titillating details of their lives are shared. But the golden moments pass, and the men shoulder their responsibilities, leaving the Diner behind.

Date of release
1982-03-05
TMDB
6.8 / 10 (315)
Runtime
1h 50m
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Director
Barry Levinson

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Budget: $5M
  • Filmed in: Baltimore
  • Awards: 0 · Nominations: 1

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). 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, Eddie Simmons, prepares to get married.

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. Barry Levinson encouraged improvisation among his cast to capture realistic camaraderie.

Test screening reactions of the film were poor, prompting uncertainty from MGM over whether to release the film. 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.

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