My Dinner with Andre  

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-# The main [[meal]] of the day, often eaten in the evening.+ 
-# A meal given to an animal.+'''''My Dinner with Andre''''' is a [[1981 in film|1981]] film starring [[Andre Gregory]] and [[Wallace Shawn]], written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by [[Louis Malle]].
-#:''Give the dog's its '''dinner'''.''+ 
-# A formal meal for many people eaten for a special occasion.+==Plot==
-==Namesakes==+The film depicts a conversation of two acquaintances in a chic restaurant in [[New York City]]. Based mostly on conversation, the film's dialog covers such things as [[experimental theatre]], the nature of theatre, and the nature of life. The dialogue contrasts Shawn's modest, down-to-earth [[humanism]] with Gregory's extravagant [[New Age]] fantasies.
-*[[Dinner with Trimalchio]] of Petronius's Satyricon (Chapters 26-78) + 
-*''[[The Dinner Party]]'' +Gregory is the focus of the first hour of the film as he describes some of his experiences since he gave up his career as a theatre director in 1975. These include working with his friend [[Jerzy Grotowski]] and a group of Polish actors in a forest in [[Poland]], his visit to [[Findhorn Ecovillage|Findhorn]] in Scotland and his trip to the [[Sahara]] to try and create a play based on [[The Little Prince]]. Perhaps Gregory's most dramatic experience was working with a small group of people on piece of [[performance art]] on [[Long Island]] which resulted in Gregory being (briefly) [[Premature burial#Voluntary burial|buried alive]] on [[Halloween]] night.
-*''[[My Dinner with Andre]]'' + 
 +The rest of the film is a conversation as Shawn tries to argue that living life as Gregory has done for the past five years is simply not possible for the vast majority of people. In response, Gregory suggests that what passes for normal life in New York in the late 1970s is more akin to living in a dream than it is to real life. The movie ends without a clear resolution to the conflict in worldviews articulated by the two men.
 + 
 +==Filming==
 +The movie was filmed in the then-abandoned [[Jefferson Hotel (Richmond, Virginia)|Jefferson Hotel]] in [[Richmond, Virginia]]. Although the film was based on actual events in the actors' lives, Shawn and Gregory denied (in an interview by film critic [[Roger Ebert]]) that they were playing themselves, and stated that if they remade the film they would swap the two characters to prove their point.
 + 
 +The [[Boston Society of Film Critics Awards]] awarded the film the title "Best American Film" in 1982 and awarded Gregory and Shawn its prize for best [[screenplay]]. [[Roger Ebert]], along with his TV partner [[Gene Siskel]], had also praised the film and helped bring public attention to it; in 1999, Ebert added it to his ''Great Movies'' essay series.
 + 
 +== Parodies and homages ==
 +* ''My Dinner with Andre'' was parodied by [[Andy Kaufman]] and wrestler [[Fred Blassie]] in ''[[My Breakfast with Blassie]]'' (1983).
 + 
 +*The name [[Julius La Rosa]] was referred by Coach (Ernie Pantuso)in the classic sitcom [[Cheers]] in the Episode 107 Friends, Romans, And Accountants, Where the entire bar was filled with Norman's co-workers, they are like dead vegetables. So Diane wants to play the game of charades, and she mimics the movie title "My Dinner with Andre" for which Coach completes the title by saying "My Dinner with Julius La Rosa" ..... instead of My Dinner with Andre.
 + 
 +* The 24th and final episode of the first season of ''[[Frasier]]'' was entitled "My Coffee With Niles" and involved a long conversation between Frasier and [[Niles Crane|Niles]] which touched on many topics of their lives and involved Niles recurrently asking the question "Are you happy?"
 +* In the episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Boy-Scoutz N the Hood]]", [[Martin Prince]] plays an [[arcade game]] based on the film.<ref>[http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/september03/republicpc/ GameSpy.com - Review<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
 +* In ''[[Waiting for Guffman]]'', Corky St. Clair, played by [[Christopher Guest]], shows off his ''My Dinner with Andre'' action figures during the tour of his shop.
 +* A special feature on ''[[The 40-Year-Old Virgin]]'' [[DVD]] features [[Seth Rogen]] and [[Pornographic actor|porn star]] [[Stormy Daniels]] in a parody entitled ''My Dinner with Stormy''.
 +* In ''[[Nekromantik 2]]'', the two main characters watch a parody of the film in a cinema.
 +* Rapper [[Astronautalis]] penned a song called "My Dinner With Andy" on his album The Mighty Ocean and Nine Dark Theaters.
 + 
 + 
 + 
{{GFDL}} {{GFDL}}

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My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 film starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, written by Gregory and Shawn, and directed by Louis Malle.

Plot

The film depicts a conversation of two acquaintances in a chic restaurant in New York City. Based mostly on conversation, the film's dialog covers such things as experimental theatre, the nature of theatre, and the nature of life. The dialogue contrasts Shawn's modest, down-to-earth humanism with Gregory's extravagant New Age fantasies.

Gregory is the focus of the first hour of the film as he describes some of his experiences since he gave up his career as a theatre director in 1975. These include working with his friend Jerzy Grotowski and a group of Polish actors in a forest in Poland, his visit to Findhorn in Scotland and his trip to the Sahara to try and create a play based on The Little Prince. Perhaps Gregory's most dramatic experience was working with a small group of people on piece of performance art on Long Island which resulted in Gregory being (briefly) buried alive on Halloween night.

The rest of the film is a conversation as Shawn tries to argue that living life as Gregory has done for the past five years is simply not possible for the vast majority of people. In response, Gregory suggests that what passes for normal life in New York in the late 1970s is more akin to living in a dream than it is to real life. The movie ends without a clear resolution to the conflict in worldviews articulated by the two men.

Filming

The movie was filmed in the then-abandoned Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. Although the film was based on actual events in the actors' lives, Shawn and Gregory denied (in an interview by film critic Roger Ebert) that they were playing themselves, and stated that if they remade the film they would swap the two characters to prove their point.

The Boston Society of Film Critics Awards awarded the film the title "Best American Film" in 1982 and awarded Gregory and Shawn its prize for best screenplay. Roger Ebert, along with his TV partner Gene Siskel, had also praised the film and helped bring public attention to it; in 1999, Ebert added it to his Great Movies essay series.

Parodies and homages

  • The name Julius La Rosa was referred by Coach (Ernie Pantuso)in the classic sitcom Cheers in the Episode 107 Friends, Romans, And Accountants, Where the entire bar was filled with Norman's co-workers, they are like dead vegetables. So Diane wants to play the game of charades, and she mimics the movie title "My Dinner with Andre" for which Coach completes the title by saying "My Dinner with Julius La Rosa" ..... instead of My Dinner with Andre.



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