March 12, 2026
FILM: ANDRE IS AN IDIOT
DIRECTED BY: TONY BENNA
STARRING: ANDRE RICCIARDI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Let me get this out of the way first. This is a film about a man who is dying. The title might be suggesting something more comical, but the bottom line is we watch a man deteriorate over the course of 90 minutes. That said, do you want to read further and find out what the unique angle is, what its title implies, and why you might want to see it?
When we first meet Andre Ricciardi, we learn that he considers himself an idiot for one primary fact: he failed to get a colonoscopy before the age of 50 and now has stage 4 colon cancer. Of course, there are other aspects to his personality which some might suggest are idiotic. One of those includes marrying a friend who needed a green card, thus breaking up both of their other relationships. Maybe that sounds more noble than anything else. However, the “idiot” may be referring to the general persona Andre presents, including his humor and larger than life physical appearance. Maybe the “idiot” term might be applied to those who buck the norms and go about life using their own unique sensibility. In that sense it might be a term of endearment.
After getting his diagnosis, Andre decides to document his cancer struggle. The film itself is directed by Tony Benna who interviews Andre along with key people in his life: his wife, brother, children, best friend, etc. We learn a lot about who Andre is including the time he and his wife appeared on the TV show The Newlywed Game. Benna also incorporates several creative visuals such as stop motion animation to tell aspects of Andre’s story. This seems quite in keeping with who Andre is during the film. He’s humorous, stoic, and ultimately very positive. These are some traits that help him survive as long as he does. This isn’t a morbid, sad reckoning with impending death but an alternate way of tackling an extremely rough period in someone’s life.
That isn’t to say that the film is an easy watch. To be clear, my anxiety level kept spiking while watching it knowing what we see on screen will only get worse for Andre. We see him losing his trademark bushy hair, losing weight, and essentially becoming a shell of his former self. Yet it is the attitude he carries that makes his journey even more fascinating to watch.
He discusses how mundane certain aspects of life are after a terminal diagnosis. He cleans out the dishwasher, pets his cat, and gets high with his best friend. There’s never a “woe is me” moment. This could be seen as also very noble and fearless but then we learn that Andre and his family have never been emotional or touchy-feely people. Even one of his own daughters think it’s weird when considering hugging him before she goes off to college. Andre teaches them to be more cerebral than emotional and perhaps that is also a reason why he lasts as long as he does. The biggest emotion is released when he goes with his friend to a cliffside to learn how to have a “final yell,” which essentially means screaming from deep within. It’s another scene that is partially sad but also quite amusing and powerful.
Director Benna doesn’t attempt to go deep into Andre’s feelings, in part, because that’s how Andre lives. He sees humor in everything, including death. Are viewers deprived of something as a result of this? No. Andre’s wife touches on the sadder moments that we all expect to be present. However, Benna and Andre are trying to do two things. One is to show us how to fight through one’s darkest days with humor and positivity. The other, and this might be the most important message of the film, is to remind everyone to get a colonoscopy when they turn 45. What Andre experiences could have potentially been avoided otherwise. Don’t worry, I listen. I’m a month away from my fourth colonoscopy…
Andre is an Idiot opens theatrically tomorrow.
FILM: ANDRE IS AN IDIOT
DIRECTED BY: TONY BENNA
STARRING: ANDRE RICCIARDI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Let me get this out of the way first. This is a film about a man who is dying. The title might be suggesting something more comical, but the bottom line is we watch a man deteriorate over the course of 90 minutes. That said, do you want to read further and find out what the unique angle is, what its title implies, and why you might want to see it?
When we first meet Andre Ricciardi, we learn that he considers himself an idiot for one primary fact: he failed to get a colonoscopy before the age of 50 and now has stage 4 colon cancer. Of course, there are other aspects to his personality which some might suggest are idiotic. One of those includes marrying a friend who needed a green card, thus breaking up both of their other relationships. Maybe that sounds more noble than anything else. However, the “idiot” may be referring to the general persona Andre presents, including his humor and larger than life physical appearance. Maybe the “idiot” term might be applied to those who buck the norms and go about life using their own unique sensibility. In that sense it might be a term of endearment.
After getting his diagnosis, Andre decides to document his cancer struggle. The film itself is directed by Tony Benna who interviews Andre along with key people in his life: his wife, brother, children, best friend, etc. We learn a lot about who Andre is including the time he and his wife appeared on the TV show The Newlywed Game. Benna also incorporates several creative visuals such as stop motion animation to tell aspects of Andre’s story. This seems quite in keeping with who Andre is during the film. He’s humorous, stoic, and ultimately very positive. These are some traits that help him survive as long as he does. This isn’t a morbid, sad reckoning with impending death but an alternate way of tackling an extremely rough period in someone’s life.
That isn’t to say that the film is an easy watch. To be clear, my anxiety level kept spiking while watching it knowing what we see on screen will only get worse for Andre. We see him losing his trademark bushy hair, losing weight, and essentially becoming a shell of his former self. Yet it is the attitude he carries that makes his journey even more fascinating to watch.
He discusses how mundane certain aspects of life are after a terminal diagnosis. He cleans out the dishwasher, pets his cat, and gets high with his best friend. There’s never a “woe is me” moment. This could be seen as also very noble and fearless but then we learn that Andre and his family have never been emotional or touchy-feely people. Even one of his own daughters think it’s weird when considering hugging him before she goes off to college. Andre teaches them to be more cerebral than emotional and perhaps that is also a reason why he lasts as long as he does. The biggest emotion is released when he goes with his friend to a cliffside to learn how to have a “final yell,” which essentially means screaming from deep within. It’s another scene that is partially sad but also quite amusing and powerful.
Director Benna doesn’t attempt to go deep into Andre’s feelings, in part, because that’s how Andre lives. He sees humor in everything, including death. Are viewers deprived of something as a result of this? No. Andre’s wife touches on the sadder moments that we all expect to be present. However, Benna and Andre are trying to do two things. One is to show us how to fight through one’s darkest days with humor and positivity. The other, and this might be the most important message of the film, is to remind everyone to get a colonoscopy when they turn 45. What Andre experiences could have potentially been avoided otherwise. Don’t worry, I listen. I’m a month away from my fourth colonoscopy…
Andre is an Idiot opens theatrically tomorrow.