Duane Hopwood (2005)

Duane Hopwood (2005). 1h 24m | R

“For David Schwimmer making a name in feature films has, and will most likely continue to be a tall order, as itu0026#39;s tough to shed an image honed for over a decade. His first post- Friends feature is 2005u0026#39;s Duane Hopwood , a small film praised by critics that was only given a limited theatrical release.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDuane Hopwood is a man who once had it all, including a loving wife (Janeane Garofalo) and two daughters. Now that heu0026#39;s an alcoholic, all Duane has left is his cushy job as a pit boss at Caesaru0026#39;s Palace in Atlantic City. Now divorced, his downfall accelerates when heu0026#39;s stopped for drunk driving with his daughter in the car. A judge goes somewhat easy on Duane, only revoking his driveru0026#39;s license. He uses a bicycle to get to work until his friend and co-worker Anthony (Judah Friedlander) moves in with him and drives him to work. All that Duane wants is to spend time with his kids and get back with his wife, but numerous glasses of scotch and cans of beer always get in the way.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTo say David Schwimmer has arrived as a serious actor is a major understatement. His portrayal of a man spiraling downward fast is more than Oscar worthy, as this characteru0026#39;s problems only start with dependence. His is a straightforward, dramatic account, but Schwimmer levels things out by bringing a sly sense of humor to the proceedings when necessary. Simply, David Schwimmer blew me away in this film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDuane Hopwood is tough at times to watch, as any man with children is bound to choke up watching the title characteru0026#39;s hardships. Writer/director Matt Mulhern begins his film with a montage of Duaneu0026#39;s good times, laughing with his wife and kids before making the pivotal decision of stopping at a bar one night—soon after, we have a front row seat to his demise. Mulhernu0026#39;s pacing is excellent; so much happens in the film that itu0026#39;s hard to believe the running time is a mere 80 minutes. Judah Friedlander, one of the great character actors, embodies Anthony, who gives Duane enough comedy in his life to keep him afloat. Dick Cavett also pops up as Duaneu0026#39;s neighbor, and Janeane Garofalo gives her best performance in years as Duaneu0026#39;s wife.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEnding a film like this can be difficult. Mulhern treads this carefully, and pulls off a satisfying and realistic conclusion. One comes away feeling truly sorry for this loving father who is crippled by addiction, as so many people are, and his resulting inability to make rational and intelligent decisions. Hopefully, more people will discover this film now that itu0026#39;s widely available, if only to find that David Schwimmer has the acting chops to potentially enjoy a lucrative movie career. Oh, and who is this Ross guy, anyway? Iu0026#39;ve already forgotten.”