i just notice that melvin and howard register a mere 6 . 6 on the imdb rating scale . don not you believe it . this be a great american movie . director demme and writer goldman take a footnote to history a contest howard hughes will that name melvin dummar and a milkman who once loan him a quarter and a one of his heir and turn that slight material into a wry meditation on the american dream . or more specifically and the thin line that separate the american dream from pure hell . demme have a great eye for people like dummar and a dreamer whose clock for realize his dream be wind down . the performance be terrific and especially paul le mat a dummar ( whatever happen to le mat . ) and mary steenburgen who win an oscar for play his wife . jason robards do one of his patented cameo play a real life character ( his howard hughes make a neat hat trick with his oscar win performance a dashiell hammett and ben bradley . ) watch for the real life melvin dummar a the counterman in the bus station where steenburgen make a sandwich for her daughter . this be a small but know and win movie . it definitely get my vote for milkman of the month .