Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Bob Odenkirk

Writers (WGA):

Michael Blieden (play)
Michael Blieden (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Marital infidelity, religion, a guy in heaven wearing a Wizards jersey, anal fetishes, cigarettes and schizophrenia, ghosts, and how it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play | Character Name In Title

Awards:

5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Michael Blieden	...	Melvin
Stephanie Courtney	...	Alex
Matt Price	...	Joey
Annabelle Gurwitch	...	Sarah
Kathleen Roll	...	Waitress
Maura Tierney	...	Leslie
Jenna Fischer	...	Hostess
Jacqueline Heinze	...	Rita
Laura Kightlinger	...	Laura
Fred Armisen	...	Vesa
Jerry Minor	...	Solly
James Gunn	...	Scott
BJ Porter	...	Flight Attendant (as B.J. Porter)
Tucker Smallwood	...	Passenger
Jennifer Biederman	...	Child's Mom (as Jen Dollard)

Also Known As:

Phyro-Giants (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexuality, including sexual dialogue.

Runtime:

USA:83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

LeFoole Inc.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After they all leave the restaurant, Alex and Sarah are walking and the shadow of the camera and cameraman is visible on the wall by Alex.

Quotes:

Joey: This belief thing kills me. It's like, all theological concepts are basically unprovable. So they invented faith. Which was genius!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Comedians of Comedy (2005)

Conversation: the movie, you'll feel like you're actually conversing

Melvin (Writer Micheal Blieden, adapting his own stage play for the small screen), meets up with friends, old and new, over dinner and has a conversation about ghosts, religion, sex, secrets, and religion (not necessarily in that order). The conversation itself is engaging and flows nicely, but the scenes out of the restaurant,though not without merit (David Cross, Jack Black, and Maura Tierney, have good parts in said parts), tend to mess up the flow of the film somewhat. And based on the film I'd be interested in seeing the play.

My Grade: B-

DVD Extras: Commentary by Bob Odenkirk, Micheal Blieden, and cast members; Second Commentary by Odenkirk, Blieden, the producers, composer, and Cinematographer; "The Frank International Film Festical" (a funny 15 minute skit); Scenes from the stage play Phyro-Giants!"; Trailers for "the Slaughter Rule", "Swimming", "Mule Skinner Blues", "Searching for Paradise", "the Hired Hand", "the Other Side of the Bed", "In This World", "Dopamine", and a promo for the Sundance film series

DVD-ROM: Screenplay in PDF format