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Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon ... see more see more... , Ellen Barkin , Paul Reiser , Michael Tucker (I) , Kathryn Dowling , Jessica James , Colette Blonigan , John Di Aquino , Nat Benchley , Claudia Cron , Kelle Kipp , Mark Margolis , Richard Pierson , Steve Smith , Ralph Tabakin , Barney Cohen , Alan Kaplan , Brian Costantini , Clement Fowler , Marvin Hunter , Bruce Kluger , Arnold Mazer , Florence Moody , Sharon Ziman , Ellen Chenoweth , Tom Tammi , Allison Caine

Writer-director Barry Levinson's autobiographical first feature fondly remembers his Baltimore youth. It's late 1959, and six guys in their early twenties are stumbling into adulthood, alternating res... read more read more...ponsibility with carefree time at their local diner. The story centers on the return from college of Billy (Tim Daly) to serve as best man at the wedding of his pal Eddie (Steve Guttenberg). Billy is consumed by a confusing relationship with a close female friend, while Eddie still lives at home, preparing a football trivia test for his fiancée and vowing to cancel the wedding if she fails. Other characters woven into the narrative include Boogie (Mickey Rourke), a womanizer with a gambling problem, and Shrevie (Daniel Stern), a music addict with a troubled marriage. Diner became known for its bittersweet comic screenplay and its remarkable cast, which also included Paul Reiser, Kevin Bacon, and Ellen Barkin. In order to capture the loose, laid-back dialogue of the diner scenes, Levinson directed them last, so that the actors would be more comfortable with each other. Diner was the first part of Levinson's "Baltimore Trilogy," followed by Tin Men (1987) and Avalon (1990). ~ Norm Schrager, Rovi

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75% liked it

8,437 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

27 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Barry Levinson

Release Date: April 2, 1982

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DVD Release Date: April 4, 2000

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Flixster Reviews (502)

  • FrizzDrop
    May 22, 2012
    FrizzDrop
    A sweet bit of nostalgia tugging on your memory, Diner is less about the dramatic turns of a group of friends, and more about a simpler time when most people knew Frank Sinatra as Old Blue Eyes, and the diner was a happenin' joint. This film only exists to wax nostalgia about the... read more fifties, and though some trivial issues are brought to light it isn't a commentary on the times or a story that has any kind of real climax. The group of friends are interesting at first, as they each have unique personalities, slights of hand, and problems that seem momentous even today, but their storylines don't go anywhere. The one marriage of the group is troubled thanks to the fact that they married young, and the way each handles the impending loneliness was interesting, but there wasn't much conclusion. The new marriage that is just beginning doesn't seem to matter so much as being a setting to further the plot. Even Fenwick (Bacon), who is by far the most interesting character, is left without much screen time. He simply plays a practical joke, shows his intelligence, vulnerability, and eccentricities (maybe a form of psychosis) and disappears from the film altogether to make room for more boring scenes that aren't strung together. If this was a film about character studies, or an actor's film I would understand not having a plot, but the characters aren't developed enough for us to care about them. This was done so much better in American Graffiti, with its long, episodic sequences and significant buildup. Here, though slightly enjoyable as it is a "slice of life" film about an innocent time to most viewers, it does fall flat on occasion. It's saved most times by Mickey Rourke, who plasters another cocky grin on his face and steals most of the scenes with his charismatic flair and debonair, nearly grungy, appeal. The rest of the cast is exceptional when they're given decent scenes to work with, but otherwise this didn't floor me or make for a feel good experience.
  • blkbomb
    December 12, 2011
    blkbomb
    Edward Eddie Simmons: If you want to talk, you always have the guys at the diner. You don't need a girl if you wanna talk. 

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

    Barry Levinson's debut film, Diner, is a truly remarkable semi-autobiographical start to his... read more great career. The movie has no real plot, but it is just the everyday goings on for a group of friends. The group is right on the edge of adulthood. They are at that point where it is time to grow up, but they can't quite summon the courage to do so. They gather at the local diner and show that they are still teenagers on the inside. They still have that immaturity that every high school student has. They can't get together without their conversations turning to the unimportant or the immature. They'll start talking about moving on in life, getting married and all this other crap that goes along with growing up, but they will always come back to the same core issues. I definitely watched this movie at the right time of my life, as I am very much on that same edge of immaturity and adulthood; not quite wanting what I have now, but not ready to move on. It is an interesting time.

    I really enjoyed watching this slice of life film. I loved listening to the characters conversations because they are so true to life. When people this age get together this is what they are going to talk about. They are going to make bets to see if they can get a girl to touch them on the first date. They are going to fight over who the best musician is. This is life at that age. Even the one married character in the film can't grow up. He  whines about how his wife messes up his record collection. Oh my God, she but Jackson Browne in with the Rock N' Roll. That's what the characters really care about.

    The cast was amazing in this film, which would become a staple of most Levinson films. Mickey Rourke is always the standout in my opinion, especially in his younger days. He is just the definition if cool in almost every role he had. You can't beat his dick in the popcorn scene either; extremely hilarious. He plays a lady's man gambler. He gets himself into some trouble when he runs up a big betting debt and he has to scramble and make more bets to try to pay it off. 

    Diner is a really enjoyable time. If you enjoy the type of movie, where nothing much happens plot wise, but it is all character driven; this is for you. If you are one of those people that needs a lot of action to keep you entertained and can't just watch people talk back and forth, then I would stay clear of this one.
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    December 6, 2010
    LoughnerWasLucid
    Mickey Rourke used to have a voice.
  • ScoopOnline
    November 27, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    What is wrong with young folks these days. Its a great Movie.
  • tsigur
    September 18, 2009
    tsigur
    The thing about this film that I liked the most was that, for the first time in a long time, I felt that these were characters that I could actually hang out with. The dialogue is great and most of the performances were spot on (except for Tim Daly, who really didn't impress me a... read morend Rourke's voice in this film compared to now is hilarious and is (in itself) a non-smoking commercial). I think the only times when I tuned out and where I thought the film dragged was only because of my cynical nature and the fact that I have become jaded against coming of age stories over the years. This is by far one of the most realistic and charming and also features Steve Guttenberg's best performance on film.
  • jennifxu
    December 6, 2008
    jennifxu
    I knew I was going to like this movie the minute I picked it up. First, the time period. Second, the concept of growing up (the bildungswoman). Third, the DIALOGUE. Funniest, wittiest, most poignant thing ever. It's like, college age Stand By Me, sans adventure and bullies, plus ... read moremarital strife and job doubts. It's male bonding at its finest. It's 50s age "Friends" with men. It's the thinking man's American Graffiti. It's WONDERFUL. I wouldn't mind seeing a Diner 2 and Diner 3 if Levinson could bring these guys back intact. Also, Mickey Rourke and Tim Daly were so sexy back then. And Ellen Barkin too.
  • DrZeek
    February 4, 2008
    DrZeek
    Eddie: When you're making out, which do you prefer, Sinatra or Mathis?
    Boogie: I like Presley.

    A coming of age comedy about a group of guys on the verge of truly becoming adults. Its set in 1950s Baltimore, and revolves around this group mainly hanging out in a diner.

    The grou... read morep includes Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, and Paul Reiser. It is the natural chemistry that all these guys have together, providing for a lot of improv, that makes this an enjoyable movie to watch.

    Director Barry Levinson doesn't try to break much new ground here. A similar formula has been done in a number of films, namely American Graffiti, let alone the show Happy Days. The mix of an episodic structure about a few days in the life of these characters, accompanied by some timely hit songs is almost its own genre, but its an entertaining one.

    There is not so much a plot as there is a series of events that develop over time. Guttenberg is about to get married, granted his wife can pass his football test. Stern and his wife, played nicely by Ellen Barkin, are trying to work out the marriage thing, which is new to them. Bacon is mostly drunk throughout. Reiser doesn't really do anything, but has a few good lines and a nice bit at the end. And Rourke is a gambling man.

    This is a fun movie about male camaraderie, and that's all its supposed to be.

    Modell: You know what word I'm not comfortable with? Nuance. It's not a real word. Like gesture. Gesture's a real word. With gesture you know where you stand. But nuance? I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong.
  • kiriyamakazou
    April 16, 2007
    kiriyamakazou
    A film that oozes cool. The sharp witty dialogue is simply fantastic. The young cast also put real heart into amazing performances, in which each character must come to terms with having to grow up in their own way. A deffinate small classic, and great for anyone who loves Swing... read moreers or the dialogue found in Tarantino films.
  • mjgildea
    November 19, 2006
    mjgildea
    Such an incredible movie. It's funny, smart and clever.
  • gavinthelordofthefut1
    August 8, 2011
    gavinthelordofthefut1
    Sometimes adult films can be very entertaining with stronger premises, neat acting, and laugh-out-loud comedy which is why we get Barry Levinson's Diner.

    It revolves around christmas time in 1959 where 5 boys spend their time at the diner. When the gang realizes that they have... read more to spend a few days without the comfort of their favorite restaurant, they try to settle their lives by showing their responsibilities while sharing their details.

    Thinking about this movie makes me want to watch it again to keep on making me laugh my butt off. I mean, it is that good there's absolutely nothing negatvie to say about it.

    The premise about spending their lives explaining their details without the diner was very interesting. The acting was pure masterpiece. Every actor you see, Steve Guttenberg from the Police Academy series, Daniel Stern from Home Alones 1 and 2, Mickey Rourke from Iron Man 2, Kevin Bacon from Apollo 13, Balto, Mystic River, you name it.

    The comedy was pure genius. The jokes that I like the best were Fenwick pretending to be dead from his car accident and the part where Fenwick gets drunk while goofing off near a church.

    The soundtrack was great and the 1959 period setting was very creative.

    Diner is one of the greatest films ever made from the early 80s that defines the 50s and it is in my list.

    5 out of 5

View All Diner Reviews

Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Movies like Diner -- fresh, well-acted and energetic American movies by new directors with the courage of their convictions -- are an endangered species. Full Review

John A. Nesbit
May 20, 2012
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews

not a great film, but it certainly is memorable Full Review

Cole Smithey
June 6, 2011
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

As confused as its male protagonists are about their proper place in the world, it's their relationship to women that beguiles them most. It's also their path to maturity. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 19, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Thoroughly enjoyable nostalgia film about lost youth that's as refreshing as a cup of coffee from a Greek diner. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 12, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Made by an insider, Baltimore's son Barry Levinson, who gets the texture and characters right, Diner is one of the most perceptive youth tales about the gulf between the sexes before the subject becam... Full Review

Geoff Andrew
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Not a lot to it, but the sense of period is acute, the script witty without falling into the crude pitfalls that beset other adolescent comedies, and the performances are spot-on. Full Review

Edward Havens
September 13, 2005
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com

Even with all its accolades, it's still an underappreciated gem

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
February 4, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Diner features a group of twentysomething friends whose camaraderie, hijinks and troubles ought to resonate with many viewers. Full Review

July 30, 2003
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A thoughtful, charming sleeper. Full Review

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Diner Trivia

  • In Pulp Fiction, what famous actor played Buddy Holly in the 50's Diner?  Answer »
  • Name the 2005 compelling thriller about a diner owner who kills 2 robbers in self-defence and the town portrays him as a hero  Answer »
  • In the Movie, Grease, what color was Frenchie's hair at the diner during Beauty School Dropout?  Answer »
  • In the movie "Enough" there was a young good looking guy sitting at the diner where "Slim" worked who had a rose to give to her, who was the guy at the diner?  Answer »
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