Diner (film)

Diner is a 1982 comedy-drama film about a group of college-age buddies struggling with their imminent passage into adulthood in 1959 Baltimore.
 * Directed and written by Barry Levinson.

What they wanted most wasn't on the menu.taglines

Eddie Simmons

 * If you want to talk, you always have the guys at the diner. You don't need a girl if you wanna talk.

'Shrevie' Schreiber

 * When you're dating, everything is talking about sex. Where can we do it? Why can't we do it? Are you parents gonna be out so we can do it? Everything is always talkin' about getting sex, and then planning the wedding, all the details. But then, when you get married... it's crazy, I dunno. You can get it whenever you want it. You wake up in the morning and she's there. You come home from work and she's there. So all that sex planning talk is over with. And so is the wedding planning talk, 'cause you're already married. So... ya know I can come down here and we can bullshit the entire night away but I cannot hold a 5 minute conversation with Beth. I mean it's not her fault, I'm not blaming her, she's great... It's just, we got nothing to talk about... But it's good, it's good.

Timothy Fenwick, Jr.

 * All I did was I parked the car on a nice lonely road, I looked at her, and I said fuck or fight.
 * Do you ever get the feeling that there's something going on that we don't know about?
 * [to his older brother] It's funny. You know, when I was a little kid I always wanted a brother. I told that to mom once and she said, "You have a brother". I said, "Oh, so that's who the asshole in the other bed is".

Billy Howard

 * I'll hit you so hard, I'll kill your whole family.

Modell

 * You know what word I'm not comfortable with? Nuance. It's not a real word. Like gesture. Gesture's a real word. With gesture you know where you stand. But nuance? I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong.
 * We all know most marriages depend on a firm grasp of football trivia.

Other

 * TV customer: [watching a black and white television program in the showroom] Is this show in color, or is there something wrong with the set?

Dialogue

 * Shrevie: OK, now ask me what's on the flip side.
 * Beth: Why?
 * Shrevie: Just, just ask me what's on the flip side, OK?
 * Beth: What is on the flip side?
 * Shrevie: Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!, 1958. Specialty Records.
 * [Beth nods blankly]
 * Shrevie: See? You don't ask me things like that, do you? No! You never ask me what's on the flip side.
 * Beth: No! Because I don't give a shit. Shrevie, who cares about what's on the flip side about the record?
 * Shrevie: I do! Every one of my records means something! The label, the producer, the year it was made. Who was copying whose style... who's expanding on that, don't you understand? When I listen to my records they take me back to certain points in my life, OK? Just don't touch my records, ever! You! The first time I met you? Modell's sister's high school graduation party, right? 1955. And Ain't That a Shame was playing when I walked into the door!


 * Boogie: You know I got plans.
 * Bagel: Always a dreamer, hey, Boog?
 * Boogie: If you don't have good dreams, Bagel, you got nightmares.


 * Stripper: [about marriage] You?
 * Billy: [shakes his head negatively] No marriage.
 * Stripper: No girl?
 * Billy: Not really. Just in love.
 * Stripper: Does the girl know?
 * Billy: Yeah, I told her about it.
 * Stripper: Told her? Didn't you show her?


 * Beth: You know, Elyse's mother is very upset with Eddie. You see, they picked out this yellow-and-white motif for the wedding. You know, like we did - napkins, tablecloths, bridesmaids, maid-of-honor, the whole bit. Anyway, Eddie objected. He wanted blue-and-white, Colts colors. Refused to give in.
 * Shrevie: So?
 * Beth: Well, you know how stubborn Eddie is.
 * Shrevie: Could've been worse. Could've been black-and-gold, Steelers colors.

Taglines

 * What they wanted most wasn't on the menu.
 * Suddenly, life was more than french fries, gravy and girls.

Cast

 * Steve Guttenberg - Edward 'Eddie' Simmons
 * Daniel Stern - Laurence 'Shrevie' Schreiber
 * Mickey Rourke - Robert 'Boogie' Sheftell
 * Kevin Bacon - Timothy Fenwick Jr.
 * Tim Daly - William 'Billy' Howard
 * Ellen Barkin - Beth Schreiber
 * Paul Reiser - Modell
 * Kathryn Dowling - Barbara
 * Michael Tucker - Bagel
 * Jessica James - Mrs. Simmons
 * Colette Blonigan - Carol Heathrow
 * Kelle Kipp - Diane
 * Clement Fowler - Mr. Simmons