Herman Koch is a Dutch actor and writer who has written short stories, novels and columns. He is best known for his 2009 international best-selling novel “The Dinner.” It has been translated into 21 languages and has been adapted into three films. The new American adaptation will be released on Friday May 5 and stars Richard Gere as Stan Lohman, Steve Coogan as Paul Lohman and Laura Linney as Claire Lohman.

According to Amazon, “The Dinner” is a suspenseful and controversial story of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives all during one meal. The story is narrated by Paul Lohman, a former history teacher. His wife is Claire and they meet his older brother Serge, a politician and his wife Babette at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between courses the conversation at first remains polite but they are aware of the underlying topic that they will eventually have to discuss. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son named Michael and Rick respectively who committed a crime that was filmed by a security camera and shown on TV but they have yet to be identified. The point of the meeting between the parents is for them to decide on what to do. Eventually the meal ends and politeness and friendship break down as each couple displays just how far they are willing to go to protect those they love.