The Lunch Date (1989)

In a cafe, a white woman walks away from her table to get silverware. When she returns, she sees a black man eating her lunch. She shares her dinner with the stranger, and he gets coffee ... See full summary »

Director:

Adam Davidson

Writer:

Adam Davidson

Stars:

Paul Sarnoff, Scotty Bloch, Clebert Ford

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Paul Sarnoff	...	Waiter
Scotty Bloch	...	Lady
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clebert Ford	...	Man
Bernard Johnson

Storyline

In a cafe, a white woman walks away from her table to get silverware. When she returns, she sees a black man eating her lunch. She shares her dinner with the stranger, and he gets coffee for the two of them. Not until he leaves does she look across the room and see that her own meal was on another table. The story derives from a classic urban legend, usually referred to as "A Packet of Biscuits" and circulating since 1972. The same plot was used in the Dutch film "Boeuf Bourgignon" (1988), although neither filmmaker was aware of the other film.

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Plot Keywords:

coffee | shopping bag | salad | manhattan new york city | misunderstanding | 

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Genres:

Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1989 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

12 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Cinema16: American Short Films (2006)

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Soundtracks

"I Don't Want To Walk Without You"
by Jule Styne
Recorded by Artie Shaw

User Reviews

Where Can I find "The Lunch Date"

This is an amazing must see short film by what I consider a brilliant screenwriter/director. I first viewed "The Lunch Date" while taking a cross cultural counseling class during my graduate program, and was simply amazed at the message that was conveyed in a matter of ten minutes. This is of course coming from a person who does not typically take the time to appreciate the true aesthetics of film making.

I love the way the story is told with minimal dialog between characters because it challenges first time viewers to decipher the plot and understand what message is being shared. The location setting, an underground subway station/shopping plaza provided me with a sense of nostalgia as I was raised in a city that had similar surroundings. The choppiness of the scenes and usage of black and white film also allowed me to appreciate the art of good film making. I had never really stopped to pinpoint what it takes to tell a story while being conscious of production techniques that assist the viewer to comprehend a message more effectively.

I would love to find this DVD Short for sale some where. If anyone is aware of where to find it, please direct me to a URL address. I work in the field of College Student Affairs, and would love to use this piece in one of my diversity training workshops.