Diner

I'm buying at the diner.

Diner is a 1982 semi-autobiographical Coming of Age film by Barry Levinson set in Baltimore in the last week of 1959. It's about six friends: Boogie, a gambling addict who works at a beauty shop, is a law school graduate, and is the closest among the group to a ladies' man, Eddie, who's getting married, but is making his bride-to-be pass a test about the Colts before the ceremony, Fenwick, a rich screw-up, Modell, the Deadpan Snarker hanger-on, Shrevie, who works at an appliance store and is the only one of the group who's married (to Beth), though not happily, and Billy, who comes back from college for the prospective wedding, and has his own woman problems with Barbara, who works at the local TV station.

Though not a big hit on release, thanks in part to Executive Meddling, this became a cult hit on video, helped launch the careers of Mickey Rourke (Boogie), Steve Guttenberg (Eddie), Kevin Bacon (Fenwick), Paul Reiser (Modell), Daniel Stern (Shrevie), Ellen Barkin (Beth), and Timothy Daly (Billy). It's also one of the first films to feature Seinfeldian Conversation, and according to many of its fans, may be the Ur Example.

Levinson later shot a pilot for a proposed TV series, but the series was never picked up. However, Levinson announced he would turn the movie into a Broadway musical, with songs by Sheryl Crow.

Tropes used in Diner include:

• Arc Words: After Boogie is brushed off by a woman on horseback (It Makes Sense in Context), Fenwick, who's been watching, says, "Do you ever get the feeling that there's something going on that we don't know about?"
• Berserk Button: Do not, under any circumstances, mess with how Shrevie files his records, as Beth finds out.
• Blatant Lies: What Boogie tells Carol Heathrow to cover up his actions in the popcorn scene. See Refuge in Audacity below.
• Comically Missing the Point: While waiting in jail (again, It Makes Sense in Context), Billy asks Eddie's advice on what to do with Barbara. Eddie, of course, suggest they get married and have the kid. When Billy points out not only does she not want to get married, but she has her own career, Eddie hems and haws a bit until saying, "I tried bringing up a reasonable solution, and you had to bring her into it."
• A Man Is Not a Virgin: Subverted; Eddie reveals to Boogie he really is a virgin.
• Platonic Life Partners: Barbara and Billy started that way, until they slept together one night; she wants to return to that relationship, but he wants something more.
• Recycled in Space: I Vitteloni set in Baltimore.
• Refuge in Audacity: In-universe - Boogie best the other guys he can get Carol Heathrow to touch his penis. So, when they're at the movies that night, at one point he opens his fly and puts the popcorn box over his penis. Eventually, as she's reaching for the popcorn, she touches it, freaks, and runs out of the theater. When he catches up to her in the girl's bathroom, he explains he only opened his fly because she got him excited, so he wanted to try and calm down. However, a certain point in the movie made him get excited again, and the penis just went through the bottom of the box. She seems to buy it.
  • Fenwick has his own moment; after he gets turned down for a loan by his estranged brother Howard, he gets drunk and goes by an outdoor Nativity scene, where he notices the life-sized Baby Jesus is missing. So what does he do? He strips down to his shorts and sits in the baby crib himself. And when Shrevie, Eddie and Billy try to get him out of there, he refuses to leave until the police come by.
• Seinfeldian Conversation: Part of the reason for the Executive Meddling; studio executives didn't understand such scenes as Eddie and Modell arguing over a roast beef sandwich, telling Levinson to cut that out and get on with the story, to which Levinson replied, "That is the story."
• Serious Business: This movie is filled to the brink with it. In addition to Shrevie's argument with Beth (see above), we have the following:
  • When coming out of a movie theater, Billy sees a guy who once was part of a team that jumped him when they were younger, so he goes up to him, and, without warning, decks him. The others are jubilant.
  • Eddie's football quiz for his bride-to-be Elyse.
  • Eddie constantly annoys his friends by asking them who they prefer, Sinatra or Mathis. When Boogie answers "Presley", it sets off Eddie's Berserk Button.
• Shout-Out: Everyone goes to see the movie A Summer Place. Later in the movie, we also see Billy and Eddie going to see The Seventh Seal.
  • Also, a minor character can quote Sweet Smell of Success by heart, much to Eddie and Modell's annoyance.
  • When Billy is at the TV station trying to get Barbara to talk to him, we can see the 1949 movie version of Little Women" playing in the background.
• Smug Snake: Fenwick's brother Howard.

Fenwick: 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".

• Unusual Euphemism: Fenwick tends to describe any prank he pulls as a "smile".
  • The guys all describe a beautiful woman as "death".