Melvin and Howard (1980) User Reviews

Quirky Film Deserves A Look

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 18 April 2006]

Here's a strange tale of a couple and their on-and-off again marriage and the stupid things they do.....and the eventual flak over money billionaire Howard Hughes supposedly left the man.

Paul LaMat plays the husband and supposed beneficiary. He's just fun to watch, a likable, never-loses-his-cool kind of guy. Mary Steenburgen plays his wife and kind of surprised me by how much skin she showed, not the usual scenario with her. Both of them are somewhat low-lifes. Heck, even Hughes (Jason Robards) is pictured to look kind of scummy character in here. Then again, his last years on this earth were a bit strange!

It's a fictional story but those of us who remember, there WAS a lot of flak over the will of Howard Hughes. Despite this being on the grungy side (typical for movies between 1970-1981) this is still an appealing film in a sweet kind of way.

One thing for sure: it's different. Well worth a look.

Wistful film is so lovely it is almost a fluke...

[moonspinner55 · 8/10 · 19 October 2006]

Winning combination of scattershot comedy and wry, wistful drama tells the (alleged) true story of a milkman with big dreams and no money who is curiously named a recipient in the will of multi-millionaire Howard Hughes. Melvin Dummar (played by Paul LeMat, in a terrific performance) had been saying all along he once helped out an old guy in the desert near Las Vegas who claimed he was Hughes, but Dummar didn't really believe him (they had a nice chat anyway, and Melvin got Howard to sing one of his self-written novelty songs as well as "Bye Bye Blackbird"). Good-natured film directed by Jonathan Demme rarely loses its way, and features an endearing collection of screwballs who make the loopy craziness of the situations and dialogue immediate and real--their eccentricities are the roots of the story. Mary Steenburgen won a Supporting Oscar as Dummar's first wife, a dreamer like Melvin who is far less satisfied with struggling and who just wants to amount to something (but to Melvin, the struggles are the best part). Jason Robards is perfect as Hughes; the normally bombastic actor takes a small role and lets it bloom subtly and beautifully for us, giving the movie a misty hue and making all of Melvin's hopes sweetly credible. ***1/2 from ****

Interesting But Not a Hidden Gem

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 1 June 2017]

The story of hard-luck Melvin E. Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes.

I can't say I'm an expert on Howard Hughes, and I have never heard this story before. After watching the film and looking into it a bit, I am somewhat interested. Especially knowing that Agent Gary Magnussen was involved.

But the film itself is just alright. Very little of it has anything to do with Hughes or the courtroom drama. Much pf it has to do with the boring life of Dummar and the problems he had with his wife. This was okay, as far as movies go, but certainly nothing extraordinary. I would not place it among Jonathan Demme's best.

Great

[LeMille0 · 21 June 2003]

I saw this film only recently. I was sparked to see it because I was interested in seeing Paul LeMat in what I had heard to be was his most defining film role. From the first scene I was hooked. The scene in which the character of Melvin picks up Jason Robards, playing Howard Hughes, in the desert. The two singing Bye Bye Blackbird to each other and then remarking about the scent of sage and greasewood was both touching and humorous. Robards short performance in the film was underrated and one of the best I have seen him give. Paul Le Mat is wonderful, giving a performance that is oozing with comical sweetness and vulnerability. He is one of the only actors I have seen to truly embody the blue-collar man authentically. Mary Steenburgen in daffy and hilarious. There was not a lacking actor in the film in my opinion. It is a travesty that Paul LeMat never achieved the success that he could have with performances like this and in his many other seldom viewed films. This offbeat treat is one of the best written movies I have seen in a long time. If you get the chance to see it, please do.

"Melvin and his woes"

[uphollow · 7/10 · 13 March 2006]

I agree with the above review. Not a bad movie, but very oddly paced and organized. The best part is an amazing opening shot. 1980 also included Ordinary People, Raging Bull, Coal Miners Daughter, Elephant Man, etc so it's odd that this one for both screenplay (Bo Goldman) and supporting actress (Mary Steenburgen), neither of which make any sense in retrospect. The screenplay is NOT good, nor is Steenburgen's silly performance. What's more odd is that she many awards from various organizations. A very inaccurate title, this has about 8 minutes of total Howard Hughes screen time, which is great Jason Robards. The rest is sometimes clever, always silly, and usually frustrating. Melvin Dummar is just not a movie unto himself. However, the Milkman song he sings to win the love of his future (and current) wife is great.

Worth a look just for Mary Steenburgen

[smatysia · 6/10 · 17 December 1999]

A major wow for Mary Steenburgen. The rest of the film is rather boring. Ms. Steenburgen, however, lights up the screen. She won an Oscar for this role. I didn't see some of the other nominees for that year, so I can't say if it was the best. I can say, however, that she absolutely shone. (This film also contains her only nude scene.) Brava, Mary!

One of the most neglected

[Joel I · 9/10 · 6 December 1999]

I just noticed that "Melvin and Howard" registered a mere 6.6 on the IMDb rating scale. Don't you believe it! This is a great American movie. Director Demme and writer Goldman take a footnote to history -- a contested Howard Hughes will that named Melvin Dummar, a milkman who once loaned him a quarter, as one of his heirs -- and turn that slight material into a wry meditation on the American Dream. Or more specifically, the thin line that separates the American Dream from pure hell. Demme has a great eye for people like Dummar, a dreamer whose clock for realizing his dreams is winding down. The performances are terrific, especially Paul Le Mat as Dummar (whatever happened to Le Mat?) and Mary Steenburgen who won an Oscar for playing his wife. Jason Robards does one of his patented cameos playing a real life character (his Howard Hughes makes a neat hat trick with his Oscar winning performances as Dashiell Hammett and Ben Bradley.) Watch for the real-life Melvin Dummar as the counterman in the bus station where Steenburgen makes a sandwich for her daughter. This is a small but knowing and winning movie. It definitely gets my vote for "Milkman of the Month"!

Slice of life movie grows in stature with time

[rowmorg · 7/10 · 20 September 2013]

Melvin's first wife, whom he married twice, played by Mary Steenburgen, may have a lovely body and shakes her booty nicely but she's pretty loose and whores around without a problem --- hey, that's life. That's what Director Jonathan Demme packed into his little biopic about Melvin Dummar. It's all there: the mobile home (trailer), the repo guys, the trashy jobs that Melvin (played by Paul LeMat) can't hold. And it's so believable that he stopped to pee while driving across the Nevada desert and noticed Howard Hughes lying injured on the ground (he'd crashed his motorcycle). He thought Hughes was a bum, and took no notice when he said his name. Eight years later when Hughes died he noticed, and when someone delivered a handwritten will that left him, Melvin, one- sixteenth of the estate, or $165m, he drove over to Salt Lake City and left it in the "in" tray of the Mormons' head office. Of course the will was declared phony by the Clark County Court, and Melvin was subjected to ridicule. But Demme shows him still confident at the end and hoping against hope that one day he might see some cash. This is a slice of South-Western US life that is still well worth seeing. Look out for it. Only one question: whatever happened to Paul LeMat after his big launch in the 1970s?

No Special Effects, No Mega-Buck Stars, Just a Great Film

[dglink · 10/10 · 4 June 2004]

In this day of $100 million plus movies with special effects that drown out the dialog and stars with out-sized egos and paychecks to match, a film like Jonathan Demme's minor masterwork, "Melvin and Howard," would be lucky to get a video distributor. Even a quarter century ago on its initial release, the film was largely ignored by audiences despite glowing reviews, Academy Awards, and critics kudos. However, those who make the effort to seek out this wonderful fable will be rewarded. Based on a story that may or may not have been true, "Melvin and Howard" spins the tale of an easy going hard luck kinda guy named Melvin Dummar who gives a lift to an old man he finds asleep in the desert. The man says that he is Howard Hughes, and, years later, when Hughes dies, Melvin finds a will that has been left on his filling station desk that names him as one of the heirs to the Hughes fortune. Since we know the ending before the film starts, the pleasures lie in the quirky characters and situations that screenwriter Bo Goldman and a terrific cast have created. Despite the circus that surrounded the question of the will's validity, Melvin was content just knowing that, during their drive, Howard Hughes had sung a song that Melvin had written. His evident joy in that simple event was a rare personal quality even in 1980. There are a lot of other unpretentious, yet memorable, moments in this outstanding film.

Mary Steenburgen Striptease

[RARubin · 7/10 · 23 August 2005]

This one is worth it for the Mary Steenburgen, striptease scene. She normally plays the harried wife in various comedies, but this role is strictly Utah trailer trash, and it is delicious. Her husband, Melvin the Milk Man of the Year can't keep a job, so she goes off to make a living anyway she can, shuffling her ten year old daughter off to Melvin. Melvin divorces her, takes her back and she's off again mostly because Melvin spends like a drunken sailor. Paul LeMat had a number of likable fool roles in the late 70's and early 80's. He's chewing gum and singing cowboy songs while they repo his vehicles. A chance meeting with the legendary Howard Hughes, millionaire in the desert is the plot device that propels this cute little film.

Sure, downtrodden folks dream of hitting the lottery or inheriting money from an unknown relative, but it is possible that a desperate man in real life, Melvin Dummar, may have forged himself into Hugh's will, but I doubt it. How did he duplicate Hugh's handwriting? No matter, this slice of life is just that, a little Americana from 1980.

Great story, decent film

[Okonh0wp · 5/10 · 21 September 2008]

The actual story the film is based on: In 1968, four years before reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes died, he was reported to have had an encounter with a good-natured blue collar worker, Howard Dummar. Dummar picked up Hughes when he was stranded on the side of a Las Vegas road and gave him a ride to Las Vegas. When Hughes died,he bequeathed money to Dummar as a reward for his good deed. Unfortunately, Hughes' estate and the Nevada courts found Hughes' story too unbelievable to be true and Dummar never got the money.

The movie itself is well-intentioned and it truly has interesting characters. An actor I've never heard of before in my life, Paul Le Mat, plays Dummar with an innocent "aw shucks" attitude that endears him to the audience and strengthens our opinion of him as the rightful heir. He lets himself get easily seduced by an older female customer when he's delivering milk and when the woman who turns out to be his second wife makes suggestive innuendo at him, he says "Bonnie, aren't you a Mormon girl?" His first wife Linda, who was the focus of my attention on this film based on the fact that the only thing I knew about the film was that it was Mary Steenburgen's Academy-award winning role, was an interesting character: underneath the guise of her provocative clothing and desire to be a dancer (be it exotic or tap), she's equally innocent and oblivious to the world around her.

Except for the one scene in which Bonnie seduces Howard, she's woefully underdeveloped and there's very little reason to be happy to see her and Howard at the end of the film together. The film wants us to feel that it's Bonnie's struggle as well that the press is hounding her and her husband is under national scrutiny because she's his wife, but because of the way marriages were coming and going in the subculture that Paul lived in and the initial chemistry between Linda and Howard, I was kind of hoping that Bonnie was just a temporary road stop en route back to Linda. Never mind that in REAL LIFE, Howard and Linda didn't get back together, if that was the case, the chemistry or story arc between the two needed to be strengthened up front.

Another woefully underdeveloped relationship, which is the key to the story and its title, "Melvin and Howard." The story, or the most interesting part of it, was all about Melvin's inheritance of Howard's money, and that only came back in the last 20 minutes of the film as a sort of epilogue to the story of Melvin's unsuccessful marriage to Linda.

In short, the film never really knew what it was about: A man's failed on-again off-again marriage, an almost complete portrait of a man who would go on to become a footnote in history, or the story of a man's controversial claim to inheritance.

An unseen classic

[jrs-8 · 10/10 · 15 October 1999]

Don't be surprised if you have never heard of "Melvin and Howard" because most people haven't. But if the chance comes up to watch it then grab it. It's a true american classic involving a down on his luck man (Paul Le Mat, so great as Milner in "American Graffiti") who gives a ride to an injured hitchhiker in the desert that turns out to be none other than Howard Hughes (Jason Robards, who is brilliant in a small, understated performance). Years later after Hughes has died Melvin learns he is in Hughes' will. The only problem is that there is no will to be found.

Mary Steenburgen won as Oscar as Melvin's kooky first wife. The scene where she appears on a game show is priceless. This is a sweet and very funny slice of life movie directed by Jonathan Demme who went on to many fine films such as "Silence of the Lambs." This is a true classic. Don't miss it.

all about Melvin

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 5 January 2022]

Melvin Dummar (Paul Le Mat) finds a stranger in distress on the side of a desert road. The man claims to be eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes (Jason Robards). Melvin dismisses it. He drives the man to Vegas and gives him his last quarter. After yet another repo men visit, his wife Lynda (Mary Steenburgen) leaves him. She ends up as a stripper.

Melvin is not the most competent character and Howard is only in it for fifteen minutes. The standout is Lynda played amazingly by Steenburgen in an Oscar winning performance. It's over an hour before the will comes into play. Melvin has one compelling comment at the end of the movie. Before that, he's a whiney slacker with no smarts and nothing compelling (except for his wife). I wish that one comment becomes the central through-line for the movie. The story should start with Howard singing the song. His dream should be as a singer and songwriter. His tragedy should be his failure to achieve his dream. His dream should not be buying a freaking car. He's an infuriating character. Maybe that's the real Melvin. Maybe this is a movie about an infuriating character. I'm willing buy that. This could have been a movie about the validity of the will. Instead, we get a character study.

Poor Howard (Robards)

[johnny-08 · 5/10 · 18 September 2007]

I set to watch this movie because of Jason Robards, brilliant actor who died in 2000. I was very excited to see how well known director Jonathan Demme would work with Robards and what I get isn't enough. The best parts are Robards parts (he's playing Howard Hughes) and there are only two times we see Robards in a whole movie. At the beginning and at the end. I don't understand that. The character of Melvin is totally stupid to me, there are thousand of men like him and he's just not interesting. What was interesting is character of Howard and I'm talking about Robards. Why is Robards so little in this movie? That answer probably only Demme knows. He is 7 minutes on screen and he deserved an Oscar nomination. What would he deserve for half an hour? That is also my question, but not last. Why did Mary Steenburgen won Oscar? For taking her clothes off? They gave her an Oscar because there weren't any real candidates for it. I must stop before I mention brilliant Kate Winslet who still hasn't got golden statue. Ups, there I did it.

Some Film Moments Are Truly Better Than Money

[carlad-2 · 14 March 2006]

The film's opening interaction between Dumar (the quintessential dreamer/loser) and Hughes (who found his dream but lost himself)is hauntingly brilliant. As they drive along in Melvin's truck, on the cusp of desert's dawn, Melvin manages to draw Hughes out of his crusty and maniacal shell by getting him to sing one of his self-written songs. As dawn opens, Hughes is still singing. It is probably his most uncomplicated - yet happiest moment in years.

Melvin never does receive any money from the disputed and disregarded will. But he really does not care. He still has his dreams, and knows that validation can be found in impecunity as he reflects upon his encounter with Hughes: "No, I'm not going to see that money. That's all right. Because you know what happened? Howard Hughes sang Melvin Dumar's song. He sang it." Some moments are truly better than all the pain that money can buy.

Likable comedy-drama

[Billiam-4 · 7/10 · 1 May 2022]

Likable comedy-drama is endearing in its sympathetic slice-of-the-life depiction of lower-middle-class Americana, made in good humor and with a great cast of performers.

It's The Cast

[gamay9 · 7/10 · 10 February 2013]

This is a fine film because of the cast. I am one of those dreamers that believes Melvin because he is so believable in the film. I never knew him personally but Paul Le Mat is a fine actor who had a prominent role in 'American Graffiti,' usually driving a young Shelly DuVall around (to his dismay)in his yellow chopped pick-up truck.

I have always adored Mary Steenburgen. When she walked away nude in the strip club, I became excited. I remember Pamela Reed (who portrayed Gordon Cooper's wife in 'The Right Stuff' and Melvin's 2nd wife as well as many other films) and she is also a great actress.

So, although the script was weak and had too little of Howard Hughes (Jason Robards) in it, I can understand, because the screen writer and director downplay Dummar's claim, which of course, was thrown out of court.

Overlooked gem.

[coop-16 · 10/10 · 15 April 1999]

1980 was one of Hollywoods' true 'golden years'( the strongest was, probably 1939, and the weakest was-probably- 1956.) Everyone remembers such great films as Raging Bull, The Elephant Man, Ordinary People, and Coal Miners daughter, but there were other, overlooked or nearly overlooked films. Of these, the finest was, beyond a doubt, Melvin and Howard.Based on a twentieth century addition to American folklore( the improbable saga of Howard Hughes and Melvin Dummar), Jonathan Demmes' film tells the story of a chronically unsuccessful Everyman, Melvin Dummar, who claimed to have unknowingly picked up Howard Hughes one night in the Nevada desert, and who also claimed to have been written into Hughes' will. Demme uses these materials to fashion a parable about the American dream and human aspiration.It is funny, superbly acted ( Robards probably deserved a third Oscar, and Mary Steenburgen fully deserved hers), well written, and profoundly human. Melvin Dummar may not have actually picked up Hughes in the desert, and the will may have been a forgery, but his life story does tell some important truths about the meaning of life.

Remembered this film from when it was first released - liked it then and now

[mrncat · 8/10 · 10 October 2007]

I saw this film back in 1980/81 when it was first released and liked it a lot then. Now have seen it again recently, and it still holds up. There is a certain joy of life depicted in this film that is in some ways also bittersweet (and yet refreshing). What is sad in some regards now is the realization upon seeing it again that the era of life portrayed here is now gone from the collective American psyche to some extent. That isn't to say the film is dated per se. It's just that Melvin isn't cynical at all and he doesn't seem to have a hateful bone in his body. He's neither a wimp nor a man of intellect but someone whose basic humanity emanates.

What helps the film, too, is the pairing of actors Paul LeMat as Melvin, and Mary Steenburgen as Melvin's wife, Linda -- they are an endearing couple.

I attribute the film's memorable tone and spirit to not only the actors (including Jason Robards & some of the supporting cast) -- I like to believe that director, Jonathan Demme, put his stamp on this, too. Now in retrospect am learning that the writer (Bo Goldman) probably deserves some kudos.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 4/10 · 3 August 2005]

The most interesting parts of this film are the beginning and the end, because those are the parts in which Jason Robards plays a morose old man who may or may not be Howard Hughes. Robards' performance is very effective, and sadly it is under-used. The rest of the film concerns the life of Melvin, with very little to do with Howard, and Melvin is by far and away the lesser interesting character of the two. Nothing much happens during the main body of the film: all it shows is the unexciting life of one person. The soundtrack is often noisy, which makes it hard to hear what the characters are say, and Steenburgen goes over-the-top in a role that she very questionably won an Oscar for. Some have interpreted the film as some commentary or satire on American lifestyle and society, but I personally can find little evidence to support that theory, and therefore I only recommend this film to those who want to see one of Jason Robards' best performances.

Life just constantly bit him, but he just kept on going.

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 5 August 2022]

The extended cameo by Jason Robards at the beginning of the film playing someone who may or may not be Howard Hughes (and I believe he was) sets in motion a slice of life comedy/drama that shows how the real life Melvin Dummar dealt with many obstacles before the will allegedly written by Hughes showed up on his desk. Even just a possibility that he's going to inherit a huge amount of money turns out to be a big obstacle because it turns his life upside down with people popping in to congratulate him, many that he doesn't even know obviously. Then he ends up in court and the circus continues.

The women in his life includes the mother of his children, Mary Steenburgen, who definitely wants more than he can provide yet walks out on him when he tries to give it to her. Second wife Pamela Reed is much more loyal, but she doesn't really get a lot of screen time. A game show (very similar to "Let's Make a Deal") dominates much of the first part, and when Steenburgen ends up winning big, it's the step towards her walking out on Melvin. It's surprising go see her playing a not really sympathetic character, and she does a fabulous job playing her. In spite of that, I like her. I just do not like what she did.

LeMat is the perfect loser, someone that is truly likeable and just content to make enough to get by. His ambitions are happiness and peace, and he wouldn't get that from having won the case in court. John Glover is the attorney out to prove the will a fraud, and Dabney Coleman is the judge. But it's LeMat (definitely deserving of a best actor nomination which he did not get), Robards (making it look easy to whqt he does) and Steenburgen who are brilliant, aided by a great script and super direction by Jonathan Demme. A simple film in many ways, but sometimes simple is much more.

what's all the excitement about?

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 14 March 2006]

This is a film that perhaps was best seen in 1980, as it was more topical and perhaps in that context the film would seem a lot more interesting. Having seen Leonard Maltin's glowing review (and 3 1/2 stars), I was expecting some magic. Instead, I got a film that really looked like a mediocre made-for-TV movie about people I could really care less about one way or the other. As a slice of life film, it did seem pretty real--just not compelling.

The story is this--Melvin told everyone that he picked up a guy in the desert that claimed to be Howard Hughes. They sing a few songs together and then he drops him off in Vegas. Then, the next hour or more of the film is watching both Melvin and his wife, Lynda, screw up their lives again and again because they both have the wisdom and intelligence of tree shrews. Then, at the end, a mysterious stranger leaves a will--purportedly written by Hughes--leaving over $100,000,000 to Melvin. The general details are true--this guy really did claim to have met Hughes and mysteriously found the will--the rest of the story is pure conjecture. Frankly, his character seemed so dumb and short-sighted I tend to believe the will was real--someone that stupid probably couldn't even spell "Hughes"--let alone think up such a hoax! I must be pretty dumb, too, sitting through this film and ASSUMING there must be some sort of magical payoff--dream on!

Best Film of the 80's

[buby1987 · 26 October 1999]

Everyone thinks Raging Bull is the best film of the 1980's, but Melvin and Howard holds up better for me. Paul Le Mat should have been nominated for an Oscar, and this film should have made him a star. It's such a waste that Le Mat isn't used in more films.

At least Mary Steenburgen's excellent performance didn't go unnoticed -- she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Bo Goldman's cleverly constructed, highly nuanced script won another Oscar.

Director Jonathan Demme went on to greater success and acclaim with Silence of the Lambs, but he achieved something special with Melvin and Howard. Most directors would play Melvin Dummar's story for easy laughs, and while Demme finds humor in the material, he also explores with depth and sensitivity how the American Dream has failed some of its most ardent aspirants.

So did it happen or not?

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 2 December 2005]

"Melvin and Howard" is one of those maybe-true-maybe-not stories. Working class Melvin Dummar (Paul LeMat) finds along the road a scraggly old man (Jason Robards) who may or may not be Howard Hughes. When Hughes leaves Melvin a sum of money, Hughes' family fights it.

Yes, it sounds like a rather plain story, but director Jonathan Demme knows how to make it interesting. Mary Steenburgen won an Oscar for her role as Melvin's wife Lynda; she adds an interesting dimension to the film, confused by her husband's unexpected fortune, but doing everything possible to keep her life together. Quirky, but something that you won't want to miss.

A genuine American fable...

[aldo-renato50 · 10/10 · 21 June 2010]

I first saw this movie in the theater when it came out back in 1980. The country was still getting over the impact of Howard Hughes' death and the will(s) he left to different people, including Melvin Dummar. I saw a lot of myself in Melvin...we always seem to have an idea but it never gets going (he had his Christmas song, I have or have had too many to mention). The story line (Melvin picks up Howard, takes him to the Sands, drops him off, and goes on with his life as a milkman, gas station owner/mechanic, etc. until he's handed the will, being called a liar, two wives, etc.) is as Leonard Maltin put it in his book of movie reviews "a genuine American fable." First wife Lynda (Mary Steenburgen, in an Oscar-winning role) works as a waitress and dancer and later recreates some of that on a talent show (in real life, the Dummars were on "Let's Make a Deal"-note the resemblance between actor Robert Ridgely and Monty Hall). Melvin blows the prize money, Lynda leaves and Melvin moves on with his life (second wife Bonnie, played by Pamela Reed). A will gets dropped on his desk and all Hades breaks loose. An interesting sidelight is that in the 1980's there was a brief TV show called "Lie Detector" in which people were put on a polygraph and allowed to prove they weren't lying. Melvin was on the first broadcast, flunked the polygraph exam and was called a liar-to his face!!! From that he faded into obscurity...??!! This movie is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon...it's one of the great stories in film history. Mary Steenburgen deserved her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and Bo Goldman's Oscar-winning screenplay hits home(fact or fiction).