Dinner Rush
Access Motion Picture Group | Release Date: September 28, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Mr. ShowbizKevin Maynard
A funny, frenetic, and often quite touching microcosm of the Big Apple life itself, essayed by a pitch-perfect cast and boasting authentic urban flavors.
90
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
Some of the finest ensemble acting this year.
90
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Effortlessly graceful and burnished to a glow, Dinner Rush is surely as satisfying as any of the delicious-looking food served at Louis' restaurant -- and is as full of surprises as any dish Udo ever concocted. Read full review
90
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Serves up its scattershot plots as if they were lined up on a menu, moving from appetizer to entree: there are more intrigues here than in the court of the Medicis. Read full review
90
SlateDavid Edelstein
A marvelously nasty revenge comedy. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneJohn Petrakis
It's rare to find an American movie that works so well structurally from beginning to end, including a second act that withstands the plethora of fast-moving action, and a climax that is satisfying and well earned. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Danny Aiello is right at home as owner Louis, a paternal Italian father to all but his own son, reigning over the throng from his corner table like a benevolent lord and maybe underworld gangster. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
The cast never skips a beat, particularly Mark Margolis as the most obnoxious dinner customer in cinema history and Summer Phoenix as his unfazed waitress. Read full review
80
The New YorkerDavid Denby
Combines pulse-of-the-city drama and comedy with an elaborate revenge plot, but mostly the movie is about New Yorkers talking.
80
L.A. WeeklyF. X. Feeney
It's fitting, then, that Dinner Rush boasts Hawks-ian virtues: fiery energy, swift, character-driven chitchat and a tough, upbeat sense of how the world works. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
A nicely shaped script by Chicagoans Rick Shaughnessy and Brian Kalata makes this independent comedy drama a pleasure to watch. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Benefits enormously from Aiello's down-to-earth magnificence. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
As tension mounts through the evening, Giraldi cleverly sweeps in and out of conversations -- and brings it all together in a climax that is as hard to see coming as it is to resist.
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
There are enough plots here to challenge a Robert Altman, specialist in interlocking stories, but the director, Bob Giraldi, masters the complexities as if he knows the territory. He does. Read full review
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
A witty, well-acted, visually gorgeous ensemble drama. Read full review
70
VarietyTodd McCarthy
"Big Night" meets "The Sopranos" in Dinner Rush. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
A pleasant and often surprising ensemble dramedy set almost entirely within the walls of a busy, fashionable Tribeca trattoria on a spectacularly busy Tuesday night. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineFrank Lovece
Despite the Lear-like trappings and the talented young cast, which does its work with considerable grace, it has little momentum or punch. Read full review
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