Moon over Parador is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by Paul Mazursky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Leon Capetanos.

It stars Richard Dreyfuss as a little-known actor hired to impersonate a deceased Latin American dictator, with Raul Julia and Sônia Braga in supporting roles.

For over a year, the two bond, and she shows Jack how the people are suffering under the dictatorship, particularly at the iron hand of Roberto (the real power behind the scene and who continues the charade in order to become president himself) against the rebels.

[4] Mazursky and Capetanos invented the fictional country of Parador as the film's setting after traveling through Guatemala, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica and researching "all the Latin American dictatorships" in April 1986.

[4] The real President Alphonse Simms was played by Dreyfuss' older brother, Lorin,[6] while Mazursky's wife and daughter, Betsy and Jill, appeared as woman at buffet and assistant director, respectively.

[5] During a scene where Jack has to address the crowd as the Paradorian dictator, he ad-libs his lines and uses the lyrics for the song "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha.

[7] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Though Mr. Mazursky's new Moon Over Parador has the makings of a clever satire, it never gets beyond the fond, gentle mood of an amusing travelogue."

"[6] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times commented, "Not that Moon doesn't have lots of incidental pleasures and ripe, loony laughs.

"[9] The staff at Variety wrote, "Mazursky's elaborate farce about the actor as imposter has moments of true hilarity emerging only fitfully from a ponderous production" and "Dreyfuss' panache carries the film most of the way, ably played off Braga's lusty and glamourous [sic] character.