I've always felt this movie had a certain feel and texture about it that is so compelling. A combination of great direction from Jonathan Demme and terrific performances by Paul La Mat, make it all work so well. Someone once said that the way to identify a good movie is if it has at lease three really good scenes, and no bad ones. A good movie for me is one that has at least three great scenes that stay with you for a lifetime.
shareI fully agree. This is one of those movies that sort of depress you and make you feel very alive at the same time. Paul LeMat's Melvin is like an older and not so sharp version of his American Graffiti character. He has a gift for sad, but likable characters. Wonderful story telling and incredibly acted. Also, such a great sense of place. From So. Cal to Vegas to Willard, Utah. Jonathan Demme is a wonderful director and he hit a home run with Melvin and Howard.
shareI saw this movie in film class just after its release in 1980 and was quite impressed at the time. I bought the DVD (bargain bin - shows you what modern audiences know) to see if it held up over the intervening 25 years. Did it ever! What really makes this little gem shine is the absolute lack of the ironic detachment that has made current films such a dreary grind. Hey, how about a straightforward story with honest, believable characters portrayed by truly committed actors who take big chances? Demme works in the trailer-trash milieu without going for the easy yucks or patronizing his bone-simple characters. We find ourselves desperately rooting for the dopy loosers and hissing the creepy legal vultures who try to crush Melvin's dream. I was also surprised that I now find it a very sad film. Guess that's the difference between 25 and 50: films about what life does to dreamers (both Melvin and Howard) hit home harder now.
share"...films about what life does to dreamers (both Melvin and Howard)..."
Yes, that is a good point. Unfortunately a film like this isn't as popular as, say, a violent action film.
Norman Vincent Peale: "Stay Alive All Your Life".
Agree. This is a good film.
shareI've always felt this movie had a certain feel and texture about it that is so compelling.
I saw Melvin and Howard for the first time today, and...I don't know. I felt like there was something I wasn't getting, but aside from the scenes with Hughes and maybe the last third of the film, I found it a bit lacking. Certainly I don't see why the script was so widely awarded at the time--a paucity of memorable dialogue, a poorly constructed narrative, dated satire, and thin characters...it failed to engage.
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