Stars: Jason Robards, Paul Le Mat, Elizabeth Cheshire, Mary Steenburgen, Chip Taylor

Director: Jonathan Demme

Summary: Melvin Dummar comes to the rescue of a motorcyclist when he has an accident in the desert. When the rider reveals himself as Howard Hughes, Dummar shrugs off his claim as a joke. After Hughes' death, however, Dummar receives a will...

Director Jonathan Demme (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) made a critical breakthrough with this film. It's based on the true story of Melvin Dummar (Paul Le Mat), an affable all-American loser whose miserable luck changes when he gives a ride to eccentric Howard Hughes (superbly played by Jason Robards) after finding him asleep in the Nevada desert. Following an extended opening scene of their journey to Vegas, the film dives into Melvin's messed-up trailer-park existence, which involves an unhappy wife (Mary Steenburgen), devoted daughter (Elizabeth Cheshire), and a string of thankless blue-collar jobs. Melvin turns out to be a crackpot dreamer, but his dreams seem to come true when he's named recipient of fellow crackpot Hughes' fortune in a mysterious hand-written will. The film flows as a stream of sharp comic moments via Demme's deft direction and affection for his characters. A nicely gritty look is achieved through Tak Fujimoto's photography at actual locations. A letter-perfect cast includes Dummar himself as a bus station attendant and Dabney Coleman as a Mormon judge. Bo Goldman (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST) wrote the award-winning screenplay.

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Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1980
Release Date:	February 21, 2005
Runtime:	91 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	8232249
Keywords:	Howard, Comedy, General, Melvin
Genre:	Comedy