Dinner in America (2020) Film Review: A Punk - Indie Journey
I am obsessing over this pairing and I can admit Dinner in America is not for everyone it is surprisingly offbeat in all the right ways and nostalgically punk.
This movie is all over TikTok ~ or at least my FYP. I can't get Patty's song out of my head and I can't stop loving Simon and Patty as a pair. If there are plans for a second movie - mentally, I am already in line for tickets at the theater.
Dinner in America is a Must-See Indie Film
If you're a fan of unconventional, unpredictable indie films, Dinner in America is one you won’t want to miss. Directed by Adam Rehmeier, this 2020 film takes you on a wild ride through the lives of two misfits, Simon and Patty, experiencing a world of rebellion, self-discovery, and romance. This movie has the journey-like, whimsical feel of Wristcutters: A Love Story or Little Miss Sunshine with the passion of S.L.C. Punk—only these posers are in love, Steve-O.
Simon (Kyle Gallner) and Patty (Diana Silvers)
At the heart of Dinner in America are Simon (Kyle Gallner), a rebellious punk on the run from the cops, and Patty (Diana Silvers), an eccentric young woman with a small-town life. Their paths collide absurdly, leading to a mix of comedy, romance, and an exploration of individuality. The film’s plot, while unconventional, feels grounded in real emotional stakes, with both characters struggling to break free from their pasts.
Both main characters, Simon and Patty, are fully developed. This isn’t the tired manic-pixie-dream-girl trope as we've seen before—rather Dinner in America is—we're both messed up, but "f*** em all... but us" solid punk love as it unfolds in real life. Simon’s character is everything my 17-year-old punk-kid heart wanted to be and to be with. He is female-coded, hot, punk, and funny. He’s also just a bit dangerous.
Simon (Kyle Gallner) in Dinner in America with a stolen Eagle Scout badge and an unlit cigarette.
Patty (Emily Skeggs) in a poop-covered smock, sipping an apple juice box with a bendy straw.
At the Heart of Punk, there’s a Rebellion
Dinner in America resonates with those who have felt like an outsider or other. The film’s exploration of rebellion—against expectations, family dynamics, trying to be anything but yourself—gives it a raw, punk edge that many can relate to.
The arcade and car scenes, the "best day ever"-type feelings, and the memories are reminiscent of what it is to be a young adult yearning for adventure in a town or family where nothing happens and you just want to scream - but you have to “take it down a notch”. The yearning and desire to experience more, become an adult and figure out who you are all central to Patty's character, but when she meets Simon, the guy who is everything she cannot be, he likes her for her awkward comments, the silly oversharing, and the polaroids from her cartoon bed. Simon can see that she may have a disability and not ignore it because she is quirky - but falls for her as she exists with it, as part of who she is and how she sees the world.
Music that Defies and Defines
Package all that Dinner in America has to offer up with a “tits” soundtrack and there isn't a reason to fall for Dinner in America over and over again. Patty overshares when she tells Simon about her love letters written to John Q. and how she includes “love poems” in them. With hesitation, Simon tells her that these are songs, not just love poems. This song plays on repeat—“Like a tongue-tongue, In my ear drum dumb-dumb”. It will have you searching Dinner in America Playlists on Spotify and hitting repeat on John and Jane Q.’s Watermelon as much as your housemates can stand it.
Punk, Bizzare, and Offbeat—like others before it
With nods to other classic punk movies, like Gummo, this movie works to define punk in a way that defies what mainstream masculinity is and can mean, especially in the punk scene - I'm looking at you hardcore punk. What the riot grrls were and what they stood for was often against this "must be X to be punk" boys-club-in-the-pit-shit... Much like Steve- O tells us, in S.L.C. Punk that Mike is the most punk guy at the party, Simon looks deeper and says Patty is punk - just for being unabashedly herself.
