SummaryA group of 20-somethings work on what they should do in the future while hanging out at a Baltimore diner in 1959.
Directed By:Barry Levinson
Written By:Barry Levinson
Diner
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
A wonderful movie...It isn't remarkable visually, but features some of the best young actors in the country.
90
It's a real writer's movie, happy to linger on a psychologically telling moment--and audiences expecting a big payoff may feel disappointed. "Diner" isn't the kind of movie that jumps up and down to please. But while seeming to traverse familiar ground, Levinson and his superb young cast are sprinkling it with sparkling insights. [19 Apr 1982, p.96]
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
75% Positive
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
25% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Apr 29, 2013
10
A well-written masterpiece, Diner is one of the smartest and funniest films of all times.
Sep 5, 2011
10
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 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 negative 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
90
Levinson's dialogue feels fresh and improvised, yet it hits its mark every time, and the performances he gets are complex and original (particularly from Mickey Rourke, who plays a lothario with a late-blooming conscience) - enough so that Levinson's occasional forced "cinematic" effects cause barely a ripple in the smooth, naturalistic surface.
88
Barry Levinson's Diner is an extremely clever, slick male fantasy that takes some time to work out its mood and tone but ultimately blossoms into a moving film. [16 Apr 1982]
80
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.
63
This is Hollywood's most mature treatment of the '50s-nostalgia theme so far, and the most accurate.
50
Authenticity isn't everything and "Diner" ends up an oddly disappointing nice try. [5 March 1982, p.B1]
Oct 23, 2010
9
A fantastic film about nothing at all. Effortlessly captures the idealistic view of America in the 50s/60s, the acting is spot on, and the dialogue is simply superb, with an unscripted feel flowing throughout the diner scenes.
Production Company:
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- SLM Production Group
Release Date:Mar 5, 1982
Duration:1 h 50 m
Rating:R
Tagline:It's open all day...and cookin' all night.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
