Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Tim Daly
Have I Seen it Before: Yes, but it has been ages.
Did I Like It: It’s the mark of an unassailably likable fil that it can feature five (six, if you count Paul Reiser’s Modell, but he does seem like he merely orbits the movie more than the others) main characters who range from willfully obnoxious (Guttenberg, and honestly the food, too—who puts gravy on french fries?) to believably pig-headed (Daly) and still be enjoyable.
Maybe it’s that the film is so forgiving of its leads, that I as the viewer can’t help but be forgiving of them, too. They like each other despite themselves, and that camaraderie doesn’t feel desperately co-dependent like some other “the friends of your youth are the best friends you’ll ever have” films of the period. They have enough problems on their own without ruining each other’s lives, minus a roast beef sandwich, a manger, or anything Boogie (Rourke) has cooking up. I’m looking in your direction, The Big Chill (1983).
Maybe it’s that the film reflects the young adult male experience pretty spectacularly. I knew each of these guys. While it may the film’s least believable sub-plot, I knew a guy in college who would have absolutely done the football test for a prospective spouse. I remember going to his wedding quite well, if for no other reason than the marriage was over inside of a year, in case anyone was wondering what an ill-advised sequel to the film might have looked like.
Although, you can’t help but wonder what became of the characters in the 60s and beyond. As with most great films, I think it is the timelessness written into its DNA. That kind of interaction has not changed much from 1959 to 1982 to 2009 to now. The only thing that has changed now is that you don’t have to wonder about the guys from the diner. You just need to search for them on Facebook.