My Dinner with Andre

My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 drama directed by Louis Malle, in which playwright Wallace Shawn and theater director Andre Gregory share an intimate, wide-ranging dinner conversation at a New York restaurant. The film is essentially a two-hour dialogue exploring deep philosophical themes including consciousness, authenticity, and the numbing effects of modern life. Despite its minimalist premise, the film became a cult classic celebrated for its intellectual depth and compelling performances.

• The film was shot in just 35 days.
• Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory played fictionalized versions of themselves.
• Director Louis Malle initially doubted the concept would work cinematically.
• The entire film takes place in a single restaurant.
• The screenplay was written by the two lead actors themselves.

• We're all just walking each other home.
• I think that New York is the new model for the new concentration camp.
• Could it be that we simply don't want to wake up?
• I mean, the whole concept of the self may be something we'll have to abandon.
• We need to be able to experience reality, Wally.