Overview
An evening of deep conversation unfolds, revealing the complexities of life and human experience.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intellectual
- witty
- contemplative
- quiet evening
- film discussion night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an unusually original, intelligent, and eloquent chamber drama sustained by the chemistry and ideas of its two performers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The evening meal and the evolving debate between Andre and Wallace provide nearly all of the film's structure and conflict.
Most of the film unfolds at one restaurant table, with the confined space turning small reactions and pauses into visual events.
Andre's stories of abandoning conventional life confront Wallace's doubts about whether such experiences offer genuine value.
Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn apparently play themselves while dramatizing an intimate, semi-autobiographical conversation.
Films like My Dinner with Andre, and why
The Sunset Limited
conversation-centered minimalism, philosophical debate, and intimate urban realism
The Interview
two-person intellectual exchange, theatrical performance, and existential questioning
Before Sunrise
single-location dialogue, melancholy wit, and emotionally probing interpersonal conflict
Coffee and Cigarettes
writerly conversation, self-reflection, and understated comedy in an urban setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Louis Malle
- Release Date
- 1981-10-11
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (485)
Cast
- Andre Gregory
- Wallace Shawn
- Jean Lenauer
- Roy Butler
- Cindy Lou Adkins
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Dinner with Andre about?
- Two longtime friends turn an evening meal into a searching, witty argument about whether extraordinary experience can justify abandoning ordinary life.
- What is My Dinner with Andre like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Dinner with Andre as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is My Dinner with Andre violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Dinner with Andre.
- What did critics think of My Dinner with Andre?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an unusually original, intelligent, and eloquent chamber drama sustained by the chemistry and ideas of its two performers.
- Which films are like My Dinner with Andre?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sunset Limited, The Interview, Before Sunrise, and Coffee and Cigarettes.
- How long is My Dinner with Andre?
- My Dinner with Andre runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Dinner with Andre?
- In United States, My Dinner with Andre streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
