Diner

I was the guy obsessed with films. One of my buddies was the perpetually frustrated schmuck, one had a unique talent to never let money slip from his pocket, one was the charmer who had no clue he was with the wrong bunch. And God, I wish I could recall any of of these peculiar conversations during my bachelor years and see if they compete with these fascinatingly pointless exchanges that give its unique flavor to "Diner", Barry Levinson's debut.

What I do remember is that sometimes I thought these interactions could make great material for a series à la Friends or a comic-book, because if there's an area where being a man has an edge, it's friendship: when you hang out with your buddies, there's just something that catalicyses not the good or the bad but the real side of you and make you behave according to it, shamelessly and relieved from the weights of social burdens such as family pressures, jobs and girls naturally. And "Diner" is the eponymous place where five Baltimore guys in 1959 gather to recreate this bubble of complicity, based on Levinson's own memories.

But the film is less a recollection à la "American Graffiti" than an admission of men's inner vulnerability within their social life and their need to be together to be themselves, the film hits that sensitive chord especially when it comes to the subject of women. I'm old enough to have spent my teenage years without the Internet, let alone social networks, and girls and women were so estranged to le (even theoretically) that I couldn't even call when one was making the moves. "Diner"s merit is first, to never make laughs happen at the expenses of girls and secondly, create many eccentric situations that yet we can all relate to regardless of our generatios..

Take for instance the sandwich scene, second most memorable after "Five Easy Pieces". Modell (Paul Reiser) is the group's wiseguy and carelessly mentions the roast-beef sandwich Eddie (Steve Guttenberg) is eating, Eddie's aware of his little game and goes straightforward: if he wants a bite, all he has to do is ask. Schrevie, the only married one, played by Daniel Stern is giggling as he can see where this is heading at, he ends up eating the sandwich. Then you've got the most adorable display of anger from a pre-Mahoney Guttenberg. Now, what does that scene say? Simply that adulthood comes way too early for some men who develop a sort of social resistance to it.

The rest of the band behaves more maturely though with the exception of Bacon as Fenwick who hides his insecurities in alcoholism and is the least predictable of all. Bacon manages to bring a complexity to a seemingly one-note character, filling his life with momentums to make up with his life disillusions. Tim Daly is a the least colorful one, entangled in a complicated romance, and Mickey Rourke is the bad boy with a heart of gold, a womanizer, arsonists with a Brando-like voice (attitude) and some solid principles. That the man who has a way with women is the least ethical says a lot about insecurities being the norm among clean-cut men who can only get the thrills by proxy.

And apart from crazy wagers, the group also indulges in the kind of conversations where you'd ask who's better Sinatra or Mathis? These discussions go beyond decent hours because only when we get the feeling that time stops that we can be ourselves. Still, the wisest choice was to have one prominent female character with Ellen Barkin's Beth, Shrevie's wife, also unsure about her own feelings and revealing the flip side of being true to your friends: it is not being 100% honest with your wife.

I'm a divorced guy and I can recall moments similar to that fantastic record scene where Schrevie puts a tantrum because Beth couldn't put his record at the right place. That I identified with him doesn't mean that I agreed, simply that his attitude was so extreme it could only be the top of the iceberg. Needless to say that it was with friends that I shared my frustrations about my ex-wife, as Shrevie did... and you know what? If you push a conversation far enough, maybe even the happiest man in his life will tell you that he's not sure he married the right girl. That future Eddie wants his wife to know about football speaks thousand words, he just wants a woman that would understand his passion, a slice of his persona, like I want my woman to love "The Godfather". Women might be relegated as secondary characters but the film doesn't mock them but rather pity men who can't find a compromise between their dreams and reality.

Now, there are a few moments that wouldn't pass the radar today but no way "Diner" couldn't have been overlooked. I was wondering why it was included in the AFI Top Laughs and then I realized it's not about the laughs, but the way it makes you laugh, with discussions about nothing but a nothing that says all, the soul of the film was there, all there in that 'sandwich' scene the producers wanted to get rid of. Levinson understood that a screenplay doesn't need to rely on plot-serving lines or snappy dialogues à la Neil Simon but its nonchalant detachment, the fact that they're talking about nothing special makes the experience even more special... and one can see where Seinfeld or Tarantino got their inspiration.

And that's a reason to hang out in that "Diner", also for its incredible cast with many stars of the 90s in their early to mid twenties, and finally because of that truth about we, guys, can sometimes be silly and women are wise enough to forgive us. Still, I'm glad my new woman loved "The Godfather", and when she first talked to my best friend, he asked her if she passed the test.

It actually is not about food - it is about how men grow up .. or do they? There is a case to be made about boys never really (or rarely) grow up to be men. And with a cast that is quite astonishing ... with themes that at least still to this day seem ageless ... while technology and other things do advance, there is a universal truth about issues most of us face while growing up.

Tough to say if in decades from now this looks like something that people can not connect anymore. Or not to the degree we think they are able to ... Back to the cast and not just Steve Guttenberg surprising me or a young Kevin Bacon (with a hint to the Friday franchise and Ketchup?), but even more so with a young rebel by the name of Mickey Rourke. I almost did not recognize him. But there are also some very fine female performers in this, the movie overall does focus on the male outlook though. Then again issues with OCD or something similar are not gender related of course ... even if it again mostly is put on the male cast here.

A good movie for anyone who likes movies about ... something or nothing in particular other than life and choices and relationships ... with some amazing performances to say the least.

I can't believe how many posters missed the point of the film.

The basic premise of the film is how men don't understand women and are even afraid of them.

Guys DO talk about women like meat when they are with other men. Did you expect them to gush about a female's personality to his fellows in the late '50s???????

See how guys even refer to Carol Heathrow as "death". Women are not to be understood and to be feared.

And the reason we never see Eddie's bride....think about it,,,if you SAW her, you'd make a judgement about that actress. "Wow, how could a guy pass her up just because she doesn't know more about football?" That's the reason we never see her. We must only know that Eddie loves her but is scared to marry her for various reasons. The moment we saw her face, there would be too many value judgements about whether Eddie is nuts to make her take the test. For thodse who complained about her face not being shown, ask yourself if it would have tainted your opinion of Eddie's requirement for marriage.

Sure, the movie doesn't SEEM like it has a plot. But it's just a slice of life in 1959, the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve....and we share that week.

Diner, Barry Levinson's writing and directing debut belongs to so-called "small" or "minor" movies and it indeed does not have spectacular locations, breathtaking action sequences or even dramatic story. As Kevin Bacon comments in the Behind the Scenes Documentary, "There's not that much of a story, really. What do we do? We drive around..." What the movie has is "a very honest portrayal of a group...of guys that people relate to on a very personal level." The different generations of viewers react to film with devotion and recognition, and Diner has become one of the beloved long time cult favorites. Based on its writer/director's memories of growing up in Baltimore, the film takes place during the week between Christmas and New Year in 1959, and tells of the friendship of five guys in their early twenties. During the course of the film, we will get to know the young men, their fears of growing up, facing responsibilities, and making decisions, their fascination and insecurities with the girls.

From his Oscar-nominated script, BL makes the study of young men who hesitate to grow up but rather hang out in their beloved Diner. Daniel Stern's 'Shrevie' is an owner of LP collection that he seems to value more than his young and pretty wife (Ellen Barkin in her film debut). Mickey Rourke, played his best role (at least, IMO) as Boogy, the cynical womanizer with the most charming smile. Steve Guttenberg's Eddie puts his fiancée through the enormously difficult football quiz and the passing score is the must for the marriage because he is scared to get married. Kevin Bacon plays Fenwick, a permanently drunk and lost kid, the character much darker than the rest of the guys. Timothy Daly is Bill who seems to be the most successful of the bunch, and know what he wants but can't make the girl he loves to love him. By making Diner, Levinson actually put his native city, sleepy and provincial 1959 Baltimore, on the cinema map, and that's just one of movie's pleasures. And there are plenty. Diner is filled with authentic and believable scenes, situations, and conversations that everyone can relate to. The Diner's menu has a lot to offer to the grateful viewers and fans of the insightful, ironic, entertaining, small but bright and shiny gem. Barry Levinson does not flatter six protagonists but he understands them and loves them because he sees in them the indelible part of his own life, his experiences, and his own childhood friends. As another great film about childhood friendship says, "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"

Barry Levinson went on to create many good and very good films after Diner. These are just a few: The Natural, Good Morning, Vietnam; Bugsy; Avalon; Sleepers, An Everlasting Piece, Disclosure, Wag the Dog, and his Oscar winner "Rain Man" but Diner will always have a very special place for me. This is the film I keep coming back to again and again, and as the time passes it only gets better.

"Diner" is a fun-filled, perfectly inspired comedy/drama, which is talented director Barry Levinson's first effort. Needless to say, there's no strong plot structure, but when you have solid, memorable characters like these, that's not necessary. Almost every one of these characters are memorable in their own ways. Nobody "steals the show."

The cast is highly spirited, as I sensed great joy in their performances. The chemistry between the characters is very genuine, and not surprisingly Barry Levinson made sure the actors got well-acquainted with each other before shooting.

I can tell Levinson based many of these scenarios on real-life situations. Scenes like these cannot be developed in the mind of some phony Hollywood hack screenwriter. The nostalgia practically bleeds out the screen, in his solid attention to detail. And that's one of the reasons why this film works. I can actually imagine Levinson sitting back and watching the film with a big smile, chuckling intermittently as he reminisces back to moments from his adolescence. When a director is joyful about his work, that joy transfers to his audience. One of the scenes in which that joy is most evident is when Daniel Stern's character throws a fit about his girlfriend, Ellen Barkin, wrongly categorizing his records and never asking him "what's on the flip side?" Levinson obviously has a passion for the music of his time, and rightfully so, because a lot of great music comes from the 50's. And lucky for me, the film's soundtrack is filled with many of those great tunes.

There are many memorable moments and lines of dialogue. The football quiz is definitely something to be remembered. But my favorite is the famous "roast beef sandwich" argument. Paul Reiser asks Steve Guttenberg if that's a roast beef sandwich he's eating, and Guttenberg can sense he wants a bite from the sandwich, so he yells out, "Just say it! 'I want the roast beef sandwich!'" It's a brilliant, "Seinfeld"-type scene which revolves around a banal subject, but you can't help but be delightfully amused, because let's fact it--the things we relate most to are the simple things in life. Movies about politics can be interesting, but what if you're not a politician or someone who doesn't give a damn about politics? Eating is someone everyone can relate to. Friendship is something everything can relate to. And male bonding is something all men can relate to.

If "Waiting to Exhale" best demonstrates the strength of female bonding, I feel this film best demonstrates the strength of male bonding. I used to feel that women had a stronger bond, since they're more affectionate and in touch with their feelings. But when jealousy enters the equation, even the most long-term friendship between two women can be butchered. I've actually talked to several women who feel more comfortable with male friends, and don't very much trust other women. However, guys stick together. We may badmouth each other left and right and bust each other's chops, but the bond remains the same. Some females may interpret this is as a misogynistic film, because other than Ellen Barkin's character, there are no major or supporting female characters. And Steve Guttenberg's would-be wife is never revealed--at least her face is never shown. But this is simply to stress the theme of male bonding; not to show that women aren't important.

"Diner" is a film for those who enjoy funny, moving, character-driven nostalgia films with fine actors. Hell, even Mickey Rourke, who I'm not a big fan of, gives a fine three-dimensional performance. But everyone in the cast is worth praising in equal doses: Daniel Stern, Paul Reiser (despite his brief screen time), Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin.

My score: 8 (out of 10)