Diner

M-G-M/United Artists. Director Barry Levinson; Producer Jerry Weintraub; Screenplay Barry Levinson; Camera Peter Sova; Editor Stu Linder; Music Bruce Brody, Ivan Kral; Art Director Leon Harris

Steve Guttenberg
Daniel Stern
Mickey Rourke
Kevin Bacon
Timothy Daly
Ellen Barkin

It's easy to tell that Diner was chiefly conceived and executed by a writer. In his directorial debut, Barry Levinson takes great pains to establish characters.

The year is 1959 and the diner is in Baltimore, although the action could take place in any American city. Using the diner as the proverbial street corner hangout, Levinson centers on a close-knit group of guys in their early 20s and how their early adult lives are taking shape.

In this case there's lots to worry about. Among the characters is a young gambler just footsteps ahead of his loanshark; a thinking grad student whose pregnant career-wise girlfriend won't get married; a compulsive husband unhappy with his new wife; a handsome rich kid who gets drunk to escape his cold family; and a closet 'virgin' who won't marry his girlfriend until she can pass a football quiz.

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.

1982: Nomination: Best Original Screenplay

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1982. Running time: 110 MIN.

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