Theme Ideas for Dinner & Movie Night

Dinner and a movie makes for a fun evening.

A dinner and movie night can deepen friendships, add romance to a relationship or create excitement for family gatherings. When choosing a theme for your dinner and movie night, focus on your group's tastes. Whatever theme you choose for your movie night, make sure to "go all the way." Incorporate the theme into every detail of the night, from decorations to outfits.

Location, Location, Location

Nothing says romance like Paris, so when creating a romantic movie night, choose from movies and entertainment that involve the French. Start by creating a French menu --- escargot, brie and sorbet, for example. Serve champagne. For a more playful couple, wear white and black stripes, berets and fake moustaches. For the movies, watch "Moulin Rouge," "Paris Je T'Aime" and "Amelie."

Choose alternate locations as your group's desires demand, such as Spain, Korea or even Wisconsin.

Intellectuals

For a group of intellectuals, watch foreign films or films with "smart" titles, such as Darren Aronofsky's "Pi." Encourage each guest to dress up as her favorite intellectual, whether it be Marie Curie, Sherlock Holmes or Steve from "Blues Clues."

Serve menu items that fit the intellectual theme, such as crackers served on a Scrabble board, pasta shaped into a brain or cheese squares stacked like Rubix cubes. If you serve alcohol, consider wine and Absinthe, the favorite drink of many modern intellectuals.

"Yeehaw"

As many people from the South will tell you, "redneck" is not a four-letter word. In fact, many people are proud of their country heritage. If you and your friends fit this bill, celebrate yourselves with a redneck movie night. Wear tank tops and big sunglasses, race-car hats and boots. The more adventurous can wear short denim shorts. Cook hot dogs and burgers on a kitchen grill, or serve store-bought, individually-wrapped burritos.

For a redneck movie night, be loud. Whistle and cheer when, in "Love and a .45," Renee Zellweger says, "Baby, I'd follow you to Oklahoma." Mimic Reese Witherspoon's Southern accent in "Freeway."

The Guys

For a "guys' night," choose buddy movies that celebrate friendship, such as "Dumb and Dumber," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Match the movies and dinner to your group's level of sophistication --- for college guys, choose buddy movies that take place at universities and have each of the guys wear their alma mater's school sweater. Serve foods in school colors. For sports nuts, wear jerseys and show movies that take place in beloved sports teams' home towns. Serve hot dogs, big pretzels and beer in red plastic cups.

References

• Script O'Rama: Love and a .45 Script