Reluctantly, the caustic and eccentric former high-school teacher Paul Lohman prepares himself for the unbearable task of having dinner at a posh restaurant with his wife Claire, after an invitation by his older brother Stan who is running for Congressman and his second wife, Katelyn.
As it was expected, soon, as the four sit uneasily chatting and bickering over a parade of absurdly expensive and intricate dishes, the tension will start bubbling up until Stan makes clear the reason for this gathering. Apparently, it concerns their sons who harassed an innocent homeless lady, and unfortunately, they got involved in a horrendous incident and committed a crime. What should the parents do? Should they be protective, covering up the dreadful incident for the sake of their sons’ future or should they expose them to be rightfully punished? After all, she was only a nameless woman.
The Dinner is an American drama thriller film directed and written by Oren Moverman, based on the Dutch novel of the same name by Herman Koch. It is the third film adaptation of the novel, following the 2013 original Dutch version Het Diner by Menno Meyjes and the 2014 Italian film I nostri ragazzi by Ivano De Matteo. The film stars Richard Gere, Steve Coogan, Laura Linney, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Charlie Plummer, Miles J. Harvey and Adepero Oduye.
Principal photography on the film began on January 21, 2016, in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Later, filming took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, including at the Gettysburg National Military Park. In May 2016, The Orchard acquired distribution rights to the film. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2017, and went on to screen at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 24, 2017. The film was theatrically released on May 5, 2017.
The Dinner (2017)
Directed by: Oren Moverman
Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Charlie Plummer, Adepero Oduye, Michael Chernus, Taylor Rae Almonte
Screenplay by: Oren Moverman
Production Design by: Kelly McGehee
Cinematography by: Bobby Bukowski
Film Editing by: Alex Hall
Costume Design by: Catherine George
Set Decoration by: Joanne Ling
Art Direction by: Gonzalo Cordoba
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent content, and language throughout.
Distributed by: The Orchard
Release Date: May 5, 2017
