Film

Melvin and Howard

Name: Melvin and Howard
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 1980
Cast: Paul Le Mat, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Elizabeth Cheshire, Chip Taylor

Biopic

A shaggy, affectionate comedy-drama about an ordinary Nevada man who claims he picked up Howard Hughes in the desert and later inherits a fortune. It's a film that loves its characters' follies without mocking them, finding warmth and weird Americana in a true story too strange to need embellishment.

TMDb rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love comedy that lingers on decent, stubborn people getting swept up in a tall tale, where the laughs come from character rather than gags and the sadness sits quietly underneath.

Skip it if you want a brisk plot that keeps escalating, since this one wanders through ordinary domestic scenes and small-town detours at its own unhurried pace.

What it asks of you: Ninety-five minutes of patient, episodic scenes that shift between warmth and wry melancholy, so it rewards attention to small gestures and throwaway lines.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Grifters1990

Shares the same sunburnt, morally murky Americana and a cynical view of con artists, drifters, and the lonely people they fleece. Sharp writing and a script that respects your intelligence.

But It's considerably darker and less forgiving than Melvin and Howard. Nobody here is particularly likeable, and the ending will sit with you uncomfortably.

Nebraska2013

Bruce Dern plays another Midwestern dreamer chasing a dubious fortune, with the same mixture of comedy and genuine tenderness. Payne's eye for small-town dignity is immaculate.

But Shot in black and white, which some find alienating. The pacing is deliberate—this is a film that trusts silence.

Stripes1981

Bill Murray and Harold Ramis; a comedy about lovable underdogs bumbling through circumstance. Immediate, warm, and genuinely funny without ever turning cruel to its characters.

But Much broader in tone than Melvin and Howard. If you're seeking that specific blend of pathos and comedy, this is lighter.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Melvin and Howard

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

F for Fake1973

Both are about the stories America tells itself, the line between truth and performance, and whether it matters. Welles asks the question philosophically; Demme asks it through real lives.

Welles's essay-film about forgery, authorship, and the stories we tell about ourselves. A magician deconstructing how we believe. Playful, dizzying, intellectually thrilling.

But It's an experimental essay, not a narrative. Deliberately fragmentary and digressive. Demands active, engaged watching—you'll be lost if you're passive.

The King of Marvin Gardens1972

Rafelson's portrait of American hustle and delusion in Atlantic City. Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern explore the gap between dreams and reality with astonishing restraint and nuance.

But Slow-burn 1970s cinema. Dialogue-heavy, low on plot. Requires patience and attention.

Crazy Heart2009

Jeff Bridges as a washed-up country musician trying to rebuild his life. It's sentimental without being cheap, and captures that particular kind of American reinvention with real grace.

But Road-movie formula can feel familiar. The romance subplot feels obligatory and underdeveloped compared to the main character's arc.

Two Weeks2006

An intimate ensemble about an eccentric family gathering for a dying mother's final days. It has that same ability to find humor and warmth in mundane, messy lives without sacrificing truth.

But Deeply unglamorous. The camera rarely moves, and it's more interested in small moments than plot momentum.

Tender Mercies1983

Robert Duvall as a broken-down country musician finding grace through routine and small gestures. Resists sentimentality with almost austere precision while never losing its emotional core.

But Sparse and meditative. If you're looking for conventional dramatic payoff, you'll be disappointed. It earns its quiet ending.

Drugstore Cowboy1989

Gus Van Sant's portrait of small-time criminals drifting through the Pacific Northwest. Melancholic, funny, never cruel. Matt Dillon's performance is a revelation.

But It's about drug addicts doing petty crimes, and the film doesn't glamorize or judge—that middle distance won't work for everyone.

Badlands1973

Malick's debut about two young lovers on the run. A romance and a crime spree shot with such beauty and myth-making that it transforms its small-town characters into American archetypes.

But Heavily stylized. Malick's voiceover and use of music and landscape can feel mannered. If you want straightforward storytelling, this isn't it.