DINER (1982)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Comedy

Director: Barry Levinson

Cast: Mickey Rourke / Steve Guttenberg / Daniel Stern

Plot

As the 1950s come to a close, a group of twenty-something young men must come to grips with the onset of adulthood.

What I Liked

With a story in the nostalgic-baby-boomers mold of “American Graffiti” and “The Big Chill,” “Diner” seems a little less of an idealized fairy tale than “American Graffiti” but remains more light-hearted than the “Big Chill.”  It has plenty of sentimentality for bygone youth, yet never resorts to the kind of aww shucks innocence that would make the audience disbelieve the characters or events.  The characters here have real problems ranging from sexual insecurity, alcoholism, and unexpected pregnancy, problems that the script deals with honestly, never simplifying or sugar-coating.  These conflicts are brought to life by remarkable performances from all of the male and female leads.  What we have here is a lament for bygone youth and freedom that still manages to recognize the need for moving on, for adult responsibility, and for accepting the future.  It’s no Norman Rockwell painting in bobby socks, but rather its own unique brand of neurotic Americana.

What I Disliked

Contradicting to what I described above, I would have to say that the closing scenes definitely flirted with a little too much sappy sentimentality.  This film shouldn't have ended with everyone smiling and a young couple going on a romantic horseback ride.  It’s a little too much hokum for what had until that point been a refreshingly honest 1950s period piece.

Most Memorable Scene

For me, the part where Daniel Stern’s character raves to his wife about the necessity to keep his music collection meticulously organized and about how important these vinyl friends are to him was frighteningly relatable.  It is also a stand-out example of the overall theme of the movie, a grown man’s obsessive preservation of the material representation of his youth and how his wife has come to represent adulthood's invasion of that youth.

My Rating: 4 out of 5