Directed by Jonathan Demme
Paul Le Mat, Mary Steenburgen
Introduced by Michael Fox, KQED.org/Arts
Lynda Dummar: C'est la vie.
Melvin Dummar: What's that?
Lynda: French, Melvin. I used to dream of becoming a French interpreter.
Melvin: You don't speak French.
Lynda: I told you it was only a dream.
Melvin and Howard is about dreams – specifically, the American dream of striking it rich. As played by Paul Le Mat, Melvin Dummar is a nice guy, constantly on the make but not especially bright, gambling, writing bad pop songs, and plotting to get his ambitious wife on television. One day, he gives a lift and some change to a crazy old coot he encounters stranded out in the desert who claims to be Howard Hughes. Years later what looks a lot like a will lands in Melvin’s mailbox. Was the guy really Howard Hughes? And has Melvin truly been left $156 million? Le Matt is perfect as a feckless everyman suddenly confronted with a windfall that brings with it reporters, accusations of forgery, high powered lawyers, and scrounging relatives and friends. Based on a true story (the real Melvin Dummar has a cameo) Melvin and Howard is funny, sad, and oddly uplifting.
CinemaLit Films
