Dinner in America

This independent film directed by Adam Rehmeier is one of the most original and inspired movies I have seen recently. I disagree with the previous reviewer who calls this film an "ostensibly a traditional romcom which tries way too hard to be edgy." I would say it was the opposite for me. At no moment I felt the typical clichés that populate the rom-com genre being present here. Au contraire, it was not really a romantic comedy in the strict sense until the final act. The same reviewer alludes to "full of quippy, antagonistic dialogue from one-note characters who seem to have no redeeming features." I fail to see how a script full of snappy or antagonistic dialogue is bad. Both Simon and Patty are far from being one-note characters, and both have substantial redeeming features. It's actually Patty who brings Simon's better part to light. Patty is a rather adorable yet quirky young woman. Simon acts the bad/dangerous guy mainly for shock value, playing his "so bad, it's good" act up to the maximum. It's certain that it has dark humor and very profane language, but it reflects the narrow-mindeness from suburbia in realistic fashion. Both Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs are memorable in their respective roles. Although inevitably there'll be some prejudiced viewers who may confuse intensity and passion with wickedness. Highly recommended for people who can tell the difference.

Always a joy when low expectations yield joyous results. This is simply wonderful. Something to offend everyone. A junkie arsonist punk singer trashes a bunch of people's lives, encounters a socially stunted chick being bullied, wants to use her for his own ends, slowly discovers she is more like him than he realises and they fall in love. Zero sentimental crap and a bizarre happy ending. This is close to zero budget and with a cast of no names. No requirement for explosions or car crashes. Well written script with real characters. Dripping with vicious sarcasm. Wonderful. More please. I loved this so much.

Quirky, offbeat comedy centered around two intensely unconventional characters. Much of the film is spent passive aggressively or all-out aggressively railing against banality and status quo in the American suburbs but there is also a sweet, heartwarming core and a lot of charm. It did feel a little long in the 2nd half without quite as much momentum as the 1st but overall this was a really enjoyable and unusual film.

We got 10-15 minutes in before my wife looked at me and we decided to kiss off the $4.99 we spent (based on the IMDB rating) and call it a day. Leah Thompson, fire whoever thought this role was a good idea.

Adam Rehmeier's "Dinner in America" is without doubt the best serio-comic punk-outlaw indie movie to have come along since I don't know when. Although it doesn't go too far off the beaten track of dozens of other 'youth' movies, (even blatantly stealing a gag from "Heathers"), I can't think of many as fresh or as likeable as this one. It's your old-fashioned boy-meets-girl plot though neither the boy nor the girl fit the stereotypical roles that might suggest. He's a punk rocker but since he keeps his face hidden under a mask when performing nobody knows his real identity and she's a nerdy fan generally regarded by everyone she meets, (including her family), as 'retarded'. They certainly don't meet cute, (he's on the run from the police and she hides him), and they don't hit it off straight away until her 'secret' becomes the key that unlocks his bad-boy heart, (he likes to smash things and set fire to people's property). Despite its propensity to violence and a screenplay as foul-mouthed as any in recent movies this is definitely a sweet-natured movie and as their unlikely romance blossoms you will undoubtedly find yourself cheering for it to succeed. As the central pair of lovers both Kyle Gallner and especially Emily Skeggs are absolutely terrific and I am sure both they and writer/director Rehmeier have the brightest of futures ahead of them.