Le dîner de cons (1998)

Director:

Francis Veber

Writer:

Francis Veber (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

25 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Each week, Pierre and his friends organize what is called as "un dîner de cons". Everyone brings the dumbest guy he could find as a guest...

Plot Keywords:

Dinner | Mistress | Infidelity | Model Builder | Snobbery

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Thierry Lhermitte	...	Pierre Brochant
Jacques Villeret	...	François Pignon
Francis Huster	...	Juste Leblanc
Daniel Prévost	...	Lucien Cheval
Alexandra Vandernoot	...	Christine Brochant
Catherine Frot	...	Marlène Sasseur
Benoît Bellal	...	Host 1
Jacques Bleu	...	Host 3
Philippe Brigaud	...	Tanner (boomerang thrower)
Michel Caccia	...	Guest 1
Laurent Gendron	...	Guest 2
Mykhaël Georges-Schar	...	Host 2
Edgar Givry	...	Cordier
Pierre-Arnaud Juin	...	Boissonade
Daniel Martin	...	Messignac
Elvire Melliere	...	Gisèle
Pétronille Moss	...	Louisette Blond
Christian Pereira	...	Sorbier
Rémy Roubakha	...	Carlier
Candide Sanchez	...	Guest 3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Daniel Russo	...	Pascal Meneaux - voice on the phone (uncredited) (voice)

Directed by
Francis Veber

Writing credits
Francis Veber		(written by)
Andy Borowitz		writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Alain Poiré	....	delegate producer

Original Music by
Vladimir Cosma

Cinematography by
Luciano Tovoli

Film Editing by
Georges Klotz

Casting by
Françoise Menidrey

Production Design by
Hugues Tissandier

Art Direction by
Sophie Campbell		(art direction) (uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Alain Pitrel

Costume Design by
Jacqueline Bouchard

Makeup Department
Agathe Dupuis	....	hair stylist
Gill Robillard	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Yann Arnaud LeGall	....	production manager
Henri Brichetti	....	production manager
Ghislaine Cauet-Martinotto	....	assistant production manager
Philippe Desmoulins	....	production manager
Pierre D'Hoffelize	....	production manager
Florent Valentin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Gachet	....	first assistant director
Noura Lauzier	....	second second assistant director (as Nora Lauzier)
Valérie Novel	....	second assistant director
Laurent Petrelli	....	second assistant director
Bernard Seitz	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gilles Baillot	....	set constructor
Jean-Pierre Battaia	....	carpenter
Evelyne Baussant	....	scenic artist
Fabrice Bouchelet	....	carpenter
Roman Cahoreau Gallier	....	painter
Sophie Campbell	....	painter
Mark Dykmeyer	....	set dresser
Caroline Gautier	....	set dresser
Thierry Gratien	....	construction foreman
Elie Guarguir	....	painter
Gilles Guerber-Zaza	....	painter
Virginie Hernvann	....	assistant set decorator
Gilbert Kadyszewski	....	plasterer
Jacques Kazandian	....	upholsterer
Bertrand Laval	....	assistant set decorator
Arnaud Le Roch	....	carpenter (as Laurent Le Roch)
Florent Maillot	....	set designer
André Marchandet	....	head plasterer
Guy Montbillard	....	set dresser
Jean-Pierre Nossereau	....	property buyer
Virginie Otte	....	on-set dresser
Pascal Peignet	....	assistant art director
Francis Poirier	....	sculptor
Claude Poulain	....	painter
Brigitte Renard	....	plasterer (as Brigitte James-Renard)
Bruno Sailord	....	scenic artist
Christian Vallat	....	assistant art director
Gilles Boillot	....	assistant production designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard Bats	....	sound
Pierre-Yves Bruneel	....	boom operator
Pascal Chauvin	....	sound effects
Gilbert Crozet	....	dubbing sound
Gilbert Crozet	....	post-synchronization engineer
Pascal Dedeye	....	sound effects
Thomas Desjonquères	....	sound editor
Jean Gargonne	....	sound editor
François Groult	....	sound mixer
Francis Perrard	....	sound stereo consultant: Dolby
Bruno Tarrière	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Jérome Miel	....	special effects
Jean-Louis Trinquier	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Daniel Marchetti	....	opticals

Stunts
Jean-Claude Lagniez	....	stunts
Olivier Vitrant	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Yves Agostini	....	camera operator
Thierry Crépin	....	grip
Dominique Delguste	....	first assistant camera
David Koskas	....	still photographer
Jean-Claude LeBras	....	gaffer (as Jean-Claude Le Bras)
Steve Moreau	....	video assistant
Sebastien Pentecouteau	....	second assistant camera
Yvon Sausseau	....	key grip
Alain Dreze	....	grip (uncredited)
Alain Ducousset	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Sabine Lancelin	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Marie-Sylvie Caillierez	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aurore Vicente	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Viviane Gourvest	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Philippe Catherine	....	musician: guitar solos
Vladimir Cosma	....	conductor
Edouard Dubois	....	music arranger
Pierre-Richard Muller	....	music producer
Romane	....	musician

Transportation Department
Jean-Michel Bertin	....	driver

Other crew
Christophe Chauveau	....	location scout
Françoise Della Libera	....	assistant administrator
Hervé Hillien	....	assistant: Mr. Veber
Laurence Lemaire-Bazi	....	script supervisor (as Laurence Lemaire)
Daniel Marchetti	....	title designer
Roger Pera	....	administrator
Brigitte Renaud	....	craft service
Dominique Segall	....	press attache
Dominique Segall	....	press promotion
Florent Valentin	....	location manager
Bobane Veselinovic	....	location manager (as Slobodan Veselinovic)

Thanks
Jean-Patrick Flande	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Gaumont (co-production)
• EFVE (co-production)
• TF1 Films Production (co-production)
• TPS Cinéma (participation)

Distributors

• Gaumont (1998) (worldwide) (all media)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (1998) (France) (theatrical)
• Gaumont Blu-ray Disc (2009) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (1999) (France) (DVD)
• Cine 3 (Argentina)
• DNC Home Entertainment (Italy) (DVD)
• EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (Portugal)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films (1999) (USA) (subtitled)
• Pathé Distribution (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• Sherlock Media S.L. (Spain)
• Tobis Filmkunst (Germany)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• L.A.M. Larghetto Music  music publisher
• Disques Pomme Music  soundtrack
• Sony Music France  soundtrack: Distribution (as Sony Music)
• Sarabande  music production
• Clinique Alleray-Labrouste, Paris  thanks
• Film Media Consultant  thanks
• France Rail Publicite  thanks
• Kodak  film stock
• Lumex  lighting
• Mairie de Paris  thanks
• Préfecture de Police de Paris  thanks
• Pyral  magnetic tape
• S. I. S.  sound post-production

Also Known As:

The Dinner Game (Canada: English title) (International: English title) (USA)
Le dîner de cons (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language.

Runtime:

80 min | Turkey:75 min (TV version)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Evecquemont, Yvelines, France

Company:

Gaumont

Trivia:

Véber's play premiered at the Théâtre des Variétés on 17-9-1993. Jacques Villeret played Pignon 600 times.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning, the train has two locomotives, then with four, then back to two.

Quotes:

François Pignon: [after hanging up the phone] That was your sister.
Pierre Brochant: I don't have a sister.
François Pignon: [appears confused] Really? I asked her who she was, and she said "His sister".
Pierre Brochant: [incredously to himself] He called Marlène!
François Pignon: Who?
Pierre Brochant: That's her name! Hissister! Marlène Hissister!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La doublure (2006)

Soundtrack:

Le temps ne fait rien à l'affaire

Guess Who Is Coming For Dinner

A group of well-to-do snobbish and obnoxious professionals have dinner parties every Wednesday to which each of them is required to bring an "idiot" as a guest. The victims have no idea that they are invited merely to be humiliated and their boorish "sponsors" compare their notes later to determine whose "idiot" was the best. Pierre Brochant( Thierry Lhermitte), the smug publisher thinks that he's got a winner in the tax accountant François Pignon (Jacques Villeret, sadly passed away in January 2005 - great French Comedian whose performance in "Robert and Robert" I enjoyed very much) who reproduces the famous landmarks with the matchsticks and would talk about them with never ending enthusiasm. Unfortunately for Pierre (but fortunately for us, the viewers) he throws his back just before the dinner and has to rely to Pignon's sincere generosity. The tables are turned and look who is an idiot after all...

With the modest running time of 80 minutes, the "Dinner Game" is a delightful and very funny comedy. I would not expect anything else from Francis Veber, the director of Le Jouet, (1976) aka The Toy , La Chèvre, (1981) aka Knock On Wood, Les Compères, (1983) ... aka ComDads, and Les Fugitifs, (1986) and the writer for Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire, (1972) ... aka The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe.