Diner Review
This talk-heavy comedy, set in 1950s Baltimore, marked Barry_Levinson's directorial debut. Filled with excellent dialogue (the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award) and star-making performances, the largely-unknown-at-the-time cast includes Kevin_Bacon, Daniel_Stern, Mickey_Rourke, Paul_Reiser, and Ellen_Barkin (it marked the big screen debuts of the latter two performers). The rampant immaturity of the male quintet of friends is amusingly lampooned in Levinson's clever and cutting script, a refreshingly honest depiction of an era often bathed in sepia-toned nostalgia. The male bonding rituals that tie together these aimless protagonists are presented as both childish and endearing, allowing the audience to laugh both with and at the protagonists. The setting is an immaculate and loving recreation of Levinson's childhood haunts, and the wonderful soundtrack makes the retro-experience complete and fulfilling. Diner was the first of Levinson's so-called Baltimore trilogy, which includes Tin_Men (1987) and Avalon (1990). His television series of the mid-1990's, Homicide, was likewise set in his beloved Baltimore. Dan Jardine, Rovi
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