Few films divide audiences the way My Dinner with Andre does—it is essentially two old friends catching up over dinner, yet somehow that simple premise launched a cult classic. Critics who fell for it called it one of the best films of 1981, while Reddit threads today still debate whether sitting through it counts as self-inflicted boredom or a gateway to something richer.
Director: Louis Malle · Stars: André Gregory, Wallace Shawn · Year: 1981 · Genre: Comedy-drama · Plot Style: Two friends dine and talk
Quick snapshot
- Exact proportion of real dialogue captured verbatim during recording sessions (Criterion Collection)
- Current streaming availability varies by platform and region (Criterion Collection)
- Production spanned three months of taping, one year of scripting, one week of filming (Film Forum)
- The Criterion Collection holds distribution rights, making their platform the most likely streaming home (Criterion Collection)
The key facts table below consolidates essential details about the film.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Director | Louis Malle |
| Release Year | 1981 |
| Writers / Stars | André Gregory, Wallace Shawn |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Core Plot | Two old friends reunite for dinner, trading anecdotes and clashing worldviews |
Is My Dinner with Andre hard to follow?
Structure of conversations
The film follows a deceptively simple structure: Wally Shawn meets André Gregory for dinner at Café des Artistes in Manhattan, and they talk. That is essentially the entire runtime. Yet the conversation spirals through experimental theater, spiritual quests, and the nature of art itself, with each anecdote triggering the next like dominoes falling in slow motion. According to the Film Forum analysis, conversations were taped two or three times a week for three months, then Shawn spent an additional year shaping that raw material into a script.
Viewer reactions to dialogue
Online forums reveal a sharp split. On Reddit, some users have called it “the most boring movie” they have ever watched, with one thread spawning a running joke about two hours of sitting and talking (Wikipedia). The complaint typically centers on pacing rather than comprehension—viewers understand what is being said but struggle to stay engaged. Pauline Kael, however, noted that both Shawn and Gregory are born storytellers, evoking vivid mental imagery despite the minimalist staging (Film Forum).
The film does not require background knowledge in theater or philosophy—its real test is patience with slow-burn conversation. If you can handle a long podcast episode, the dinner table will not confuse you.
Why is My Dinner with Andre so good?
Critical acclaim
Gene Siskel named it one of the best films of 1981, praising its intellectual depth over Hollywood spectacles (Siskel Film Center). The New York Times memorably called it “the original podcast”—a conversation that anticipated the long-form audio format decades before it became mainstream (Siskel Film Center). Roger Ebert’s review highlighted how the film achieves philosophical weight without a single car chase or explosion.
Unique format appeal
What makes the film endure is the collision between André’s spiritual wanderings—he claims to have been buried alive as part of a quest—and Wally’s grounded humanism. The Criterion Collection describes it as a two-hander where “seemingly nonchalant, borderline delirious” storytelling contrasts with pragmatic skepticism, creating shared empathy rather than resolution (Criterion Collection). Critics who love it appreciate exactly what casual viewers find tedious: the absence of conventional dramatic machinery.
The implication is that the film’s value depends entirely on whether you find two friends talking over dinner to be sufficient cinema.
Is My Dinner with Andre a good movie?
Rotten Tomatoes aggregates reviews that split roughly along generational lines—older critics who witnessed the film’s original release tend toward enthusiasm, while newer viewers often express frustration with its deliberately modest ambitions (Rotten Tomatoes). IMDb ratings place it comfortably above average for a film of its age, but the review distribution shows a bimodal pattern: strong approval from those who connect with its conversational rhythm, and indifference or dismissal from those who do not.
Whether this is a “good movie” depends entirely on what you want from cinema. Conventional plotting? Look elsewhere. Ideas delivered through lifelike banter? You may have found your film.
The pattern reveals that the film’s reception hinges less on quality than on genre expectations.
Is “Dinner with Andre” based on a true story?
Real-life inspirations
The film is not a documentary, but its bones are real. André Gregory and Wallace Shawn genuinely were old friends, and Gregory’s actual spiritual quests—including experiences that sound borderline hallucinatory—provided much of the raw material. According to the Criterion Collection, weeks of recorded conversations between the two men about Gregory’s travels formed the foundation of the script. The character Wally reflects Shawn’s modest life, trudging to agents with plays in hand, while André mirrors Gregory’s wandering curiosity.
Script origins
Louis Malle received the script and faced the unusual challenge of filming two men talking over dinner. He reportedly told Shawn the project would be impossible to shoot—then did it anyway. The conversations that became the script were taped two or three times a week for three months before Shawn spent an additional year distilling them into what appears on screen (Film Forum).
Many viewers assume the dinner scene unfolded in real-time at an actual New York restaurant. In reality, the film was shot over one week on a studio set, not in a restaurant, and the illusion of spontaneity took months of recording plus a year of scripting to achieve.
What this means is that the film’s authenticity stems from real friendship and genuine experiences, not from depicting an actual dinner.
How much of My Dinner with Andre is real?
Improvised elements
The screenplay was written by Shawn and Gregory themselves, which complicates any simple real-versus-fictional distinction. They wrote fictionalized versions of themselves, meaning the André on screen is a version of André, not André himself. However, the anecdotes Gregory tells appear to be drawn from his actual experiences—he really did embark on spiritual quests that included extreme practices. According to Wikipedia, the film is not a true story but is fictionalized from real-life conversations and experiences.
Actual dinner events
The film does not depict an actual dinner. The recording sessions that preceded the script captured conversations held in an apartment, not a restaurant. The iconic Café des Artistes setting was recreated on a soundstage. What is authentic is the friendship itself and the philosophical divide that defined it: Shawn the rationalist versus Gregory the seeker, arguing about the purpose of art and the meaning of life without ever resolving their disagreement.
What viewers can and cannot verify
André Gregory refers to his wife as “Chiquita” in the film—a detail matching his real-life wife Mercedes “Chiquita” Gregory, lending an air of autobiography to the proceedings (Wikipedia). However, the specific events Gregory recounts during dinner are presented without corroboration beyond the film itself. The extent to which they reflect actual experiences versus theatrical embellishment remains unclear.
The friendship is real, the setting is fabricated, and the anecdotes hover somewhere between documented experience and creative storytelling.
Upsides
- Critics consistently praise its intellectual depth and originality
- Unique format that predates modern long-form podcasting
- Authentic friendship chemistry between two skilled storytellers
- Minimalist production achieved impressive critical longevity
Downsides
- Talky format alienates viewers expecting conventional drama
- Filmed over one week but feels longer due to conversational pacing
- Current streaming availability unclear and region-dependent
- Difficult to rewatch without knowing the conversational territory
“When these two guys finally sit down to dinner, the film takes off into intellectual outer space… this is what I want films to be like.”
— Gene Siskel, Film Critic (Siskel Film Center)
“Both Shawn and Gregory are born storytellers.”
— Pauline Kael, Film Critic (Film Forum)
“Seemingly nonchalant, borderline delirious.”
— Criterion Collection (Criterion Collection)
Related reading: I Care a Lot – Plot, Cast, True Story and Ending Explained · Bad Boys for Life – Plot Cast Ending and Sequel Guide
Frequently asked questions
Where can I stream My Dinner with Andre?
The Criterion Collection holds distribution rights, making their streaming platform the most reliable source. Availability on other services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime varies by region and changes frequently, so checking directly with Criterion is the most dependable first step.
Who is in the cast of My Dinner with Andre?
André Gregory and Wallace Shawn play fictionalized versions of themselves. They are the only two actors in the film, though supporting voices and background figures appear briefly in restaurant scenes.
Who directed My Dinner with Andre?
Louis Malle directed the film. He received the script from Shawn and Gregory and reportedly initially thought filming two men talking over dinner would be impossible before undertaking the project.
What does Roger Ebert say about My Dinner with Andre?
Roger Ebert’s review praised the film’s ability to sustain intellectual engagement through conversation alone, calling it one of the more surprising directorial achievements of 1981 given its minimalist constraints.
What is discussed on Reddit about My Dinner with Andre?
Reddit discussions frequently highlight the talky format as podcast-like, with users comparing it favorably to modern long-form audio content. However, some threads also debate whether the film qualifies as genuinely engaging cinema or two hours of self-indulgent conversation.
Is there a My Dinner with Andre book?
There is no published screenplay or companion book specifically tied to the film. The Criterion Collection release includes an essay and bonus materials that provide context, but no dedicated book publication exists under that title.
Is My Dinner with Andre on Netflix?
Netflix availability for this title fluctuates, and the film has not had a consistent presence on the platform in recent years. The Criterion Channel remains the most stable streaming option.
The implication for viewers today is straightforward: this film rewards patience and punishes expectations. If you approach it expecting conventional payoff, the dinner table will feel like purgatory. If you accept that two people talking can be enough, the rewards arrive in unexpected places—between sentences, in the pauses, through the clash of two irreconcilable worldviews that somehow converge.
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Hannah Walsh covers federal and provincial politics and public policy for Canada Scope.