The Dinner Game

"A feast for the senseless."

1998 1h 20m FR

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 2,111

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

For Pierre Brochant and his friends, Wednesday is “Idiots' Day”. The idea is simple: each person has to bring along an idiot. The one who brings the most spectacular idiot wins the prize. Tonight, Brochant is ecstatic. He has found a gem. The ultimate idiot, “A world champion idiot!”. What Brochant doesn’t know is that Pignon is a real jinx, a past master in the art of bringing on catastrophes...

“A feast for the senseless.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

France Channel Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Jacques Villeret
François Pignon
Thierry Lhermitte
Pierre Brochant
Francis Huster
Juste Leblanc
Daniel Prévost
Lucien Cheval
Alexandra Vandernoot
Christine Brochant
Catherine Frot
Marlène Sasseur
Edgar Givry
Jean Cordier
Christian Pereira
Doctor Sorbier

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Francis Veber
Writers: Francis Veber
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 6.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Francis Veber, shot by Luciano Tovoli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Vladimir Cosma. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Georges Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jacques Villeret and Thierry Lhermitte and Francis Huster carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A feast for the senseless.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Francis Veber directs. Luciano Tovoli behind the camera. Vladimir Cosma scores. Georges Klotz cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Made its money back 6.3× over at the box office.
328 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Francis Veber, shot by Luciano Tovoli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Vladimir Cosma. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Georges Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jacques Villeret and Thierry Lhermitte and Francis Huster carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A feast for the senseless.".
9IMDB entry: tt0119038 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.