This was the debut film from director Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam; Rain Man), and it also introduced us to many then mostly unknown actors that each went on to do bigger things. Basically the film is set in Baltimore, 1959, where a group of twenty-something male high school students reunite for the wedding of one of them. The group's regular hangout and meeting spot is in the Fells Point Diner, and they are challenging their relationships as they head for adulthood. Edward 'Eddie' Simmons (Steve Guttenberg) is the one getting married, Laurence 'Shrevie' Schreiber (Daniel Stern) questions why he is married to Beth (Ellen Barkin), Robert 'Boogie' Sheftell (Mickey Rourke) is a gambler with many debts, Timothy Fenwick Jr. (Kevin Bacon) is an irresponsible drunk with attitude problems, and William 'Billy' Howard (Tim Daly, as Timothy) is in love with a woman who is pregnant but doesn't want to marry him. There is no real plot as such, it is just taking a look at each of the five group members one at a time as they struggle with whatever problems they face as they grow up. Also starring Paul Reiser as Modell, Kathryn Dowling as Barbara, Michael Tucker as Bagel and Jessica James as Mrs. Simmons. It was nominated the Academy Award for scripting, but actually the actors were mostly ad-libbing which makes it look all the more naturalistic. My favourite scene is Stern getting moody when his wife doesn't order his record collection properly, I can be like that sometimes with my DVD collection. I think the big reason to see this film is to see where big stars like Guttenberg, Rourke and Stern really had their careers kick off in the way they did, it is a good old fashioned comedy drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Levinson, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. It was number 57 on 100 Years, 100 Laughs. Very good!