When a movie has star quality, it must be good. For "Diner", it's Great! I mean just look at the list: Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser. Set in 1959 Baltimore, the gang are enjoying the last week of the 50's. One of them is about to get married, while the others talk about different stuff that they don't care about, or just as obnoxious as the person who says it. Though in their 20's, they still act like they're younger. One plays a joke claiming the car is wrecked, in which he staged it to look like it was wrecked. The diner scenes are all to common. Debating, trading food, comparing, and other whatnot's. The one scene that got me the most is when Boogie(Rourke) unzipped his fly, and put the popcorn box in his pants while watching "A Summer Place". He freaked her out when his "member" peeked from the popcorn. He explained his situation, and she's cool about it. Other women would run for their lives. Then there was the late night jam when two of the friends decided to kick up the joint, and everyone have a great time. We all need to grow up, but who says who has to stay that way. Watch this movie, and you'll be back in your youth. 5 stars.

One might at first compare Barry Levinson's "Diner" to "American Graffiti" and "Animal House", but that doesn't do it justice. The previous two were more about partying and the nostalgia factor, while this one is much more serious. The focus is on the relationship between this group of men in 1959 Baltimore, and the paths that their lives are taking. Each of them has his flaws, but is well-meaning. In fact, they all seem like losers, but they're all supportive of each other.This was definitely a splendid directorial debut for Levinson. It's the perfect blend of drama with only the slightest hint of nostalgia. Like the other two movies, it has a great soundtrack, but that never distracts from the plot. If anything, it's there to remind us that these men are about to enter a new world, both with their transition to adulthood and with the coming of the '60s.All in all, a very fine effort. Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin and Paul Reiser have every reason to be proud of this.

It is like some bits of careers—good choices or at least mere luck, if there is such a thing, which I doubt—that enable or empower some actors to fully express a persona, an unmistakable persona, something which transcends script, role, etc.—a full expression of an ideal themselves, and to reveal a striking expression of their identity. If you will read my choices bellow, you will perhaps notice an asymmetry—in fact, the simple remark that older actors, from Fresnay and Gabin to Grant and Bogart, got better movies, the kind of movies that empower the actor to fully give his essence.Rourke, Gabin, Clift, Mitchum, Lemmon are masters at this. They in fact know how to subordinate a movie to themselves and to be served by it and convert it into a vehicle of their own essence. No matter how chameleon's they may seem, they nonetheless bring some movies, some roles to their own humanity. They are interesting by their own humanity and savory persona, rather than by what their are able to make with a given script—like the virtuous craftsmen from my second list below. It's not about how well or even masterful or resourceful they are playing a role—but about how they do bring it to themselves, to their humanity. The rest are acting jukeboxes.There are actors who have a personalized filmography (like Rourke, Mitchum, Belmondo, Gabin, Delon, Kitano, Wayne, Clift, Dean, Nicholson, Cooper and Grant, Bogart, Philippe, Fresnay, Newman, Caine, Depp, Cagney, Mastroianni, Lemmon, Stewart, Crowe, Willis, of course Marais, Widmark, Laughton), and others who don't (e.g., Pacino, De Niro—even before he got polluted, like the previous guy listed, by stridency, O'Toole, Hackman, Hoffmann, Gere, perhaps even Rathbone and Olivier, Niven, Guinness, alas: Brando, Hopkins—it's almost as if all these folks have been reduced to doing character acting). I talk about bits of careers, a few roles, a handful of script—transcending performances. How could I define the difference?

I saw Diner in the theater when it first came out. I loved every second of it--especially the relationship between Reiser and Guttenberg. "You gonna eat that?" Diner, by far is a classic film with an emphasis on great dialog--seemingly natural and realistic. Even the slang was "vintage 50's." I had visited a friend (Andrew Neal Gorelick) in Baltimore not long after the movie had come out and he showed me all the Baltimore highlights that were inspirational to the film. The character "Boogie" was based on a real life guy named Boogie Weinglass who, legend has it, was a great B.S.er and actually opened a successful chain of clothing stores called Merry Go Round. He eventually sold out and I couldn't find out anything more about him and what followed. I'm sure Barry Levinson might know. I love Baltimore even though I'm from NY!! Some classics coming out of that city,Pink Flamigos, Hairspray and others.