My Dinner with André

Many people who have watched the film "My Dinner with André" have no idea that it is a documentary. We're always surprised to hear people say how boring they thought it was, as if they were expecting an adventure film. When we tell them that every word spoken was true, they tend to look a bit confused. Other than the brief prologue and even briefer epilogue, the entire film takes place in a grand old restaurant somewhere in New York, and consists of two men, playwright André Gregory, and actor-playwright Wallace Shawn, catching up on the experiences they've had since last they met. The third element of this collaboration was the great Louis Malle, who directed the film.

               

Gregory, who had experienced an amazing (and somewhat disturbing) series of events -- some of which seem to be related in an unknown manner -- does the majority of the talking. He had endured the illness and death of both parents, been through a ritual of being buried alive, meetings with mysterious figures and perplexing coincidences. Shawn mostly listens, adding his own experiences and observations.

               

If you decide to watch this surprisingly engrossing conversation, we recommend taking notes on things that you may want to research more deeply. We've been exposed to many fascinating things as the result of watching My Dinner with André, not a claim that we can make about many other films.