The Man Who Came To Dinner

The Man Who Came To Dinner (2000) A famous critic, armed with an acid tongue, slips and falls on his way to dinner at an admirer’s home.  His injury forces him to remain there, much to everyone’s displeasure.  This is the film of the 2000 Broadway revival of the stage play.

Directed by – Jay Sandrich, Judy Kindberg              Starring – Nathan Lane, Jean Smart, Harriet Harris

This movie ended up in my DVD player through a case of mistaken identity.  I thought I’d selected the 1942 movie version, starring Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan.  This taping of a Broadway performance with audience aired on PBS two days after the show closed.  My general rule is that anything with Nathan Lane in it is worth a look.  Add in that this is one of the classic Moss Hart/GeorgeS. Kaufman partnerships and it’s hard to pass up.  So I went ahead and watched.

In an interview he gave at the time of the run, Lane noted that there was a thin line to be walked with the role of Sheridan Whiteside, the “man who came to dinner”.  It would be quite easy to simply wallow in a mean-spirited portrayal of the acerbic character.  As we discover, while he is spoiled, self-centered and occasionally mean, Whiteside does indeed have a soft spot hidden deep inside.  I was a little worried because when we first see the character (you hear him for a bit offstage), it felt very mean.  The audience’s laughter seemed just a little uncomfortable.  Once things settle down, you get the full effect of the Hart and Kaufman script.  The dialogue has all the quick timing and biting edge that you expect.  There’s also a big, soft heart hidden in the play as well.

Modern audiences may struggle a little with this one, however, because of the enormous volume of references to cultural icons of the day (the play opened in 1939).  Whiteside is based on Alexander Woolcott, a name that would have been familiar to virtually anyone in the audience at the time but is virtually forgotten today.  A New York theater critic, writer and radio personality, Woolcott is reported to have loved this version of himself.  Other characters would have been recognized by the audience as thinly veiled versions of Harpo Marx (of the Marx Brothers), and Noel Coward.  The script is filled with references to actors, radio stars and more.  Many of the names will be very unfamiliar, which robs the show of some of its charm.

I would echo the criticism of the stage revival during its run.  The actors do a very creditable job, but too often it feels like we are leaping from one bit of schtick to another. Some of the “heart” of the characters get lost.  Lane is exactly what you would expect in this role (and that’s not criticism in the least), Jean Smart is devastatingly funny as the blonde bombshell, Harriet Harris, as Whiteside secretary, Maggie, brings most of the heart that the show has, Byron Jennings as the Noel Coward-esqe Beverly Carlton is a delight, while Lewis J. Stadlen, in the Harpo Marx inspired role of Banjo, just barely hangs on to the set with his over the top character.  I might have dialed him back, just a bit.  There are a couple wonderful small roles as well, the nurse, Miss Preen, and the slightly demented spinster aunt Harriet Stanley.

What I Liked About It – There is a special joy to watching actors having fun with great dialogue.

What You Will Like About It – Nathan Lane being Nathan Lane, a whole new vocabulary of rude names and some very, very funny moments.

Rating – *** Worth A Look