‘Do you think I’m weird?‘
Kyle Gallner is having a moment right now following his towering performance in the Smile franchise and 2023’s divisive but undeniably powerful horror movie Strange Darling. Back in 2020, Gallner starred in Dinner in America, a rare starring role following several supporting roles in various genre films. The film matches his intense punk-rock energy and also serves as an introduction to writer-director Adam Carter Rehmeier, who is directing his third film, but his first film to receive widespread appeal (following a public seal of approval from iconic director John Waters). Waters was right to be so effusive…
Dinner in America is an unlikely love story that sees Gallner’s punk rock singer making a connection with awkward, college dropout Patty (Emily Skeggs). The film doesn’t have much in terms of narrative. There is a subplot about Gallner’s protagonist being on the run, but the film is mainly an examination of what it means to be an outsider and the joy that can come from meeting a kindred spirit whilst existing on the outskirts of ‘normal’ society.
Gallner and Skeggs are both deliberately off-putting at times, but Rehmeier does a great job of humanising the characters which ensures that we are rooting for them despite their antisocial tendencies. Rehmeier’s script is unpredictable and often funny, and the killer soundtrack acts as a metaphor for Gallner’s anger and alienation, and the song (written for the film in an afternoon by Rehmeier and Skeggs) that the two characters write together is genuinely excellent – think The Moldy Peaches by way of The Violent Femmes.
Dinner in America is not a typical romance film but it does feel like the work of a singular voice in Rehmeier working with a cast who perfectly understand how to realise his vision. It’s also satisfying to see Lea Thompson (Back to the Future) on the big screen and in a role that allows her to flex her comedic chops.
