Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003)

Director:

Bob Odenkirk

Writers (WGA):

Michael Blieden (play)
Michael Blieden (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Marital infidelity, religion, a guy in heaven wearing a Wizards jersey, anal fetishes, cigarettes and schizophrenia, ghosts, and how it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Plot Keywords:

Est | Accidental Death | Fetish | Schizophrenic | Interfaith Relationship

Awards:

5 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Michael Blieden	...	Melvin
Stephanie Courtney	...	Alex
Matt Price	...	Joey
Annabelle Gurwitch	...	Sarah
Kathleen Roll	...	Waitress
Maura Tierney	...	Leslie
Jenna Fischer	...	Hostess
Jacqueline Heinze	...	Rita
Laura Kightlinger	...	Laura
Fred Armisen	...	Vesa
Jerry Minor	...	Solly
James Gunn	...	Scott
BJ Porter	...	Flight Attendant (as B.J. Porter)
Tucker Smallwood	...	Passenger
Jennifer Biederman	...	Child's Mom (as Jen Dollard)
Feridoon Asiani	...	Busboy
Sterling Fitzgerald	...	Woman at Seminar (as Michele Fitzgerald)
David Cross	...	Seminar Leader
Rochelle Washington	...	Marsha
Susan Chuang	...	Kiko
Wendy Fowler	...	Stewardess (Melanie) (as Wendy Rae Fowler)
Scarlett Lam	...	Stewardess (Pamela)
Jason Nash	...	Bartender
Bob Odenkirk	...	Keith
Emma Biederman	...	Ben Franklin Girl
Anastasia Basil	...	Shushing Woman
Scott Aukerman	...	Policeman #1
Ezra Kahn	...	Child
Mercy Aguilar	...	Woman With Child
Scott Adsit	...	Man
Nathan Odenkirk	...	Crying Boy
Don McEnery	...	Policeman #2 (as Donald McEnery)
Allan Havey	...	Husband
Daniel Abrams	...	Extra (as Dan Abrams)
Craig Anstett	...	Extra
Martin Antrim	...	Extra
Steve Benaquist	...	Extra
Anna Brown	...	Extra
David Brownstein	...	Extra
Roni Brunn	...	Extra
Cate Cohen	...	Extra
Mark Cohen	...	Extra
Bart Coleman	...	Extra
Adian Colesberry	...	Extra
Jim Coughlin	...	Extra
Jennifer Courtney	...	Extra
Cherie Danielle	...	Extra
Marshall Dostal	...	Extra
Amy Dunham	...	Extra
Christian Finnegan	...	Extra (as Chris Finnegan)
Loretta Fox	...	Extra
Eric Friedman	...	Extra
Dan Gabriel	...	Extra
Daisy Gardner	...	Extra
Amy Gershwin	...	Extra
Jessica Glassberg	...	Extra
Joy Gohring	...	Extra
Adam Gropman	...	Extra
Ian Harris	...	Extra
Drew Hastings	...	Man With A Drink
Paul Henderson	...	Construction worker
Amy Hui	...	Woman at Seminar
Jay Huguley	...	Johnny Extra (as Jay Hughley)
Joel Huggins	...	Extra
Marc Evan Jackson	...	Extra
Rodney Jao	...	Extra
Brandon Johnson	...	Extra
Mertyn Kavalam	...	Extra
Sari Knight	...	Extra
Howard Kremer	...	Man at seminar
Scott Landsman	...	Extra
John Lee	...	Extra
Therese Lee	...	Extra
John Leslie	...	Extra
Greg Longstreet	...	Extra
Ron Lynch	...	Extra
Alison Lyon	...	Extra
Colin Mahan	...	Extra
Gary Mann	...	Extra
Rasika Mathur	...	Extra
Dave Metz	...	Extra
Laurie McEnery	...	Extra
Phil Mercado	...	Extra
Jacob Meszaros	...	Extra
K.J. Middlebrooks	...	Extra
L.J. Mismas	...	Extra
Jon Mozenter	...	Extra (as John Mozenter)
Annie Mumolo	...	Extra
Max Nelson	...	Extra
Dave Nickoll	...	Extra
Leigh Nickoll	...	Extra
Joe Nunez	...	Extra
Bill Odenkirk	...	Seminar Door Guard
Tunde Ojedokun	...	Extra
Amy Palmer	...	Extra
Brett Paesel	...	Extra
Doug Perkins	...	Extra
Carmen Plumb	...	Extra
Brad 'Chip' Pope	...	Man at seminar (as Chip Pope)
Jed Resnik	...	Extra
Dominique Rieuf	...	Extra
John Robertson	...	Extra
Lisa Roth	...	Extra
Barbara Rothenberg	...	Extra
Betsy Salkind	...	Extra
Alex Sanger	...	Extra
Sonia Sanz	...	Extra
Wendy Shanker	...	Extra
Tanya Scheer	...	Extra
Jason Sklar	...	Extra
Randy Sklar	...	Extra
Mya Stark	...	Extra
Trey Stephens	...	Extra
Eleni Stevens	...	Extra
Guy Stevenson	...	Extra
Kent Sublette	...	Extra
Chris Tarantino	...	Mental Patient
Terrence Taylor	...	Extra
Stanley Ullman	...	Extra
Mary Wachtel	...	Seminar Administrator
Jeremy Wallace	...	Extra
Alexi Wasser	...	Chloe
Derek Waters
Amy Wendt	...	Extra
Suzanne Whang	...	Extra
Kristen Wiig	...	Extra
Lesley Wolff	...	Woman
Jim Zulevic	...	Extra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Black	...	Mental Patient (uncredited)
Melora Walters	...	Trenice, Melvin's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Directed by
Bob Odenkirk

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael Blieden		(play "Phyro-Giants!")
Michael Blieden		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Blieden	....	co-producer
Alex Campbell	....	line producer
Bob Odenkirk	....	co-producer
Naomi Odenkirk	....	producer
D.J. Paul	....	producer (as DJ Paul)
Jeff Sussman	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Penn

Cinematography by
Alex Vendler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Blieden

Production Design by
Michael Krantz

Art Direction by
Missy Parker

Set Decoration by
Missy Parker

Costume Design by
Averi Bell

Makeup Department
Maya Murakami	....	key hair stylist (as Maya Murakami-Koons)
Maya Murakami	....	key makeup artist (as Maya Murakami-Koons)
Yuko Takahashi	....	assistant hair stylist (as Yuko Yamauchi)
Yuko Takahashi	....	assistant makeup artist (as Yuko Yamauchi)

Production Management
Liza DiCarlo	....	production supervisor
Van Hayden	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jasmine Alhambra	....	second assistant director
Van Hayden	....	first assistant director
Vincent G. Gonzales	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jennifer Abbott	....	art production assistant
Michelle Ary	....	illustrator
Michelle Ary	....	set dresser
Ellis J. Barbacoff	....	additional props (as Ellis Barbacoff)
Tony Bonaventura	....	props
Jed Resnik	....	art production assistant

Sound Department
Andy Aaron	....	special sound effects recordist
Scott Dikkers	....	post-production sound
Erik Magnus	....	sound mixer
Patrick Martens	....	boom operator
Kelly Vandever	....	supervising sound mixer
Erik Magnus	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michaline Babich	....	camera operator
Michaline Babich	....	first assistant camera
Eric Robert Bradshaw Bennett	....	electrician (as Eric Bennett)
Noaz Deshe	....	camera operator
Jonathan Edelman	....	best boy
Cash Hartzell	....	swing
Nick Hay	....	camera operator
Adam Peabody	....	swing
Jaron Presant	....	camera operator
Adam Timrud	....	still photographer
Joe Warson	....	additional first assistant camera
Michael Weeks	....	best boy (as Mike Weeks)
Wade Whitley	....	first assistant camera: film unit
Nicole Williams	....	clapper loader
Steve Yedlin	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Shannon Dunn	....	extras casting
Vanessa Portillo	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie Schneider	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Dan Bree	....	assistant editor
Aaron Rhodes	....	colorist: Magic Bullet, The Orphanage
Marc Sadeghi	....	post-production executive: The Orphanage
Jeremy Rubin	....	post-production consultant (uncredited)

Other crew
David B. Arciniegas	....	technical advisor
Romeo DeNunno	....	production assistant
Eric Eichelberger	....	production assistant
Charles Fathy	....	translator (as Charles Abdi)
Eric Flathers	....	key production assistant
Chandra Keyes	....	production coordinator
Adria Later	....	studio teacher
Erin Mazzocco	....	office production assistant
Meredith Meade	....	production assistant (as Meredith Kaczmarek)
Vincent Odien	....	production assistant
Dikran Ornekian	....	production assistant
Chris Phillips	....	production assistant
David Steinberg	....	production assistant
Scott Charles Stewart	....	digital mastering consultant
Bryan Sundstrom	....	script supervisor (as Brian Sundstrom)
Christopher Suttle	....	location manager
Virginia Vanover	....	assistant: Mr. Odenkirk
Amy Younger	....	magic bullet producer: The Orphanage
Diana Zuroshvili	....	production assistant

Thanks
Scott Berman	....	special thanks
Chris Bilheimer	....	thanks
Lori Christopher	....	thanks
Bart Coleman	....	thanks
David Cross	....	special thanks
Paula Elins	....	thanks
Ari Emanuel	....	special thanks
Michael Gendler	....	thanks
Marc Golden	....	thanks
Mitchell Hurwitz	....	special thanks (as Mitch Hurwitz)
Mary Iannelli	....	thanks (as Mary White)
Kevin Iwashina	....	thanks
Danny Leiner	....	special thanks
John Levenstein	....	special thanks
Jason Nash	....	thanks
Bill Odenkirk	....	special thanks
Patton Oswalt	....	special thanks
Alan Rautbort	....	thanks
Corinne Reilly	....	thanks
Steve Rudnick	....	special thanks
Tim Sarkes	....	special thanks
Matt Tauber	....	thanks
Lesley Wolff	....	thanks

Production Companies

• LeFoole Inc.
• Phyro-Giant Partners
• Situation Films
• Squaresville Productions

Distributors

• Arrival Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (limited)
• Fabrication Films (2005) (non-USA) (all media)
• Sundance Channel Home Entertainment (USA) (video)
• Sundance Channel (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Mimeograph Records  soundtrack
• Orphanage, The  magic bullet services
• Universal Studios  recording services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexuality, including sexual dialogue

Runtime:

USA:83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

LeFoole Inc.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After they all leave the restaurant, Alex and Sarah are walking and the shadow of the camera and cameraman is visible on the wall by Alex.

Quotes:

Joey:All of you need therapy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Comedians of Comedy (2005)

Keep it coming, Michael Blieden!

Just got the DVD after discovering it on Netflix and enjoyed it, although I wish I'd seen it with a live audience for the laughs. It's "My Dinner with Yuppies" - but these guys are likable, smart, funny and occasionally deep. The effect is that you feel like you're the fifth member at the table. Definitely a worthwhile rental.

Bob Odenkirk directed, so there's some of his Mr. Show gang involved like David Cross and Jack Black (who delivers big time as the "Creatress"). There's also the uber-likable Maura Tierney along with Laura Kightlinger, to pepper this low-budget indy with a some bankable star power. But none of the major characters are "stars" although Blieden's is a face you'll swear you've seen somewhere (commercials?), but you can't quite place it.

But like so many independent films, the story behind the movie is just as, if not more interesting. The additional features include scenes from the play "Phyro-Giants" written by Blieden, that spawned this film. The commentary, especially the producers track is an independent producer's 101 where you found out how Blieden edited this whole film on a "single processor Powermac" in Final Cut. Damn, I'm impressed...

No, it's not quite "Swingers" but it's very good, with solid performances that come from a unique ensemble chemistry (these guys did this thing on stage for five months). I hear this has been on the Sundance Channel (don't get it), but I'd recommend the DVD for the extra's.

Somewhere between TV pap and movie crap, independent films like this, made on the cheap but sparing little or nothing in the quality of writing/performance, offer some hope for viewers who want something more. I look forward to Blieden's next film.