My Dinner With Andre

Play trailer

My Dinner With Andre

PG

1981

1h 50m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Old friends Wallace (Wallace Shawn) and Andre (Andre Gregory) haven't seen each another in five years and agree to meet for dinner. Andre, a once well-known theater director, dropped out of the New York scene to travel the world, while Wallace stuck around, finding only mixed success as a playwright. As they sit down to eat, Andre launches into a series of fantastic stories from his time away, and Wallace can't help but notice how different their worldviews have become.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Joseph Jon Lanthier

Slant Magazine

But what an egg it is.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 16, 2009

Full Review

David Parkinson

Empire Magazine

A completely merited cult favourite of the avant-garde genre. This is surprisingly compelling in places.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 4, 2009

Full Review

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

The most exciting film released in 1981, with the possible exception of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.'

Mar 21, 2025

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

It should be required viewing for would-be actors and behind-the-camera craftspeople.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 7, 2024

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Like some of our best late-night chats with good friends, the dialogue seems to encompass everything while resolving nothing.

Rated: A

Aug 30, 2022

Full Review

Rick Chatenever

Santa Cruz Sentinel

My Dinner With Andre elevates the simple activity of conversation to a fine -- and lively -- art. It is a film rich in ideas and brimming with very honest humanity.

Nov 20, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Zachary K

An interesting and thought provoking film, I recommend being under the influence of something on first watch though.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/09/25

Full Review

Jonathan E

My philosophy professor gave us this movie as homework one week. It had just hit the theatres around Boston and I reluctantly boarded the bus down Mass Ave., across the Charles River and into a snow-heavy Cambridge. It was more than just a movie, it was almost like an acid trip! These days, I have the DVD and I watch it at least once a year.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/12/25

Full Review

L S

I wish I had watched this sooner.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

Full Review

john h

A conversation for dinner turns into a philosophical and existential interaction between two old friends that makes us think and question, the exact theme of the movie. This is one of the few films that make you think, and not many existential films do that very effectively - or as effectively as this film does. Somehow, My Dinner With Andre does not come off as a completely pretentious piece of work and is one of the most unique examples you will ever find in originality, human interest and the question for existence.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/04/25

Full Review

Zac h

Unique film in that it is (nearly) entirely comprised of a conversation between the two main characters. I found their conversation thought-provoking but also a bit boring. I enjoyed the novelty of the premise and the dialog enough to watch and enjoy it but found it tedious enough that I had to watch it in two sittings.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/25

Full Review

Niall O

A profound meditation on the meaning of life and existence, which raises serious questions as regards the ego, and our ability to tolerate uncertainty, ambiguity and lack of resolution. The most revealing thing in our lives is the thing that we do not want to know about ourselves. Stick with it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Louis Malle

Director

Wallace Shawn

Wally

Andre Gregory

Andre

Jean Lenauer

Waiter

Wallace Shawn

Writer

Andre Gregory

Writer

Author! Author!

50%

49%

Author! Author!

Watchlist

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

74%

57%

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

Watchlist

Tempest

55%

73%

Tempest

Watchlist

Fatso

29%

65%

Fatso

Watchlist

My Favorite Year

97%

84%

My Favorite Year

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Old friends Wallace (Wallace Shawn) and Andre (Andre Gregory) haven't seen each another in five years and agree to meet for dinner. Andre, a once well-known theater director, dropped out of the New York scene to travel the world, while Wallace stuck around, finding only mixed success as a playwright. As they sit down to eat, Andre launches into a series of fantastic stories from his time away, and Wallace can't help but notice how different their worldviews have become.

Director: Louis Malle
Producer: George W. George, Beverly Karp
Screenwriter: Wallace Shawn, Andre Gregory
Distributor: Momentum Pictures, Fox Lorber, Cinegate Ltd., New Yorker Films
Production Co: Saga, NEF - Nouvelles Éditions de Films, The Andre Company
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 11, 1981, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 28, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.1K
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

Most Popular at Home Now