This highly acclaimed but basically forgotten slice of life character study doesn't have much of a strong plot outside the hero's desire to buy a parcel of land and create a town where there will be no organized crime in control. What it has would fill a ton of best lists for 1974. Best screenplay, best leading actor, best ensemble. Well maybe not best, but certainly top ten, and Richard Dreyfeuss's performance is one of the best of the 1970s not too receive an Oscar nomination. He's an independent minded Jewish young man in Montreal in the frantic 1950's, involved in all sorts of quick make a lot of money schemes, most (if not all) quickly failing, and in the process, he deals with struggling father Jack Warden, black sheep brother Alan Rosenthal and wealthy uncle Joseph Wiseman. On his deathbed, his uncle declares that Dreyfeus is hurting him with his strong words of resentment, but it's been a lifetime of disappointment for Diddy and through the neglect he claims his uncle treated with, years of hurt.
So this brash young man isn't so confident in spite of his cocky attitude, hiding his fears behind lots of showy attitudes and actions. His brother (ironically named Lennie Kravitz) became a doctor against his will with his uncle's help and hates it, and his struggling father looks on at the world with cynicism and somehow envies son Duddy for his independent mindedness. Other acquaintances, friends and business associates share their views of the world, some resentful for being Jewish and others devoted to the religion and culture that had followed their people through history like a plague. You learn much about cultural pride as well as some of these individuals own self hatred as well as theories of why Jewish people of varying generations feel that they have become persecuted and the various reasons surrounding that.
So there is not much in the way of story but you do get to see these people for their varying qualities, particularly Duddy who is quite likeable in spite of sometimes being outwardly dislikeable and often dishonest for reasons he believes are honorable. Randy Quaid, Denholm Elliott and Joe Silver are among the other familiar faces important in his life, and there is also Micheline Lanctôt, the love of his life who comes and goes, often making Duddy feel like he's been betrayed which leads to a final showdown at the end, indicating an incompleteness to the story, something which often happens in life. There is also the commentary of the other characters throughout the film as to what they think of Duddy, even minor ones, but all they do is show that what you may see on the surface is not always what you get. Dreyfus is better here than he was in his Oscar winning performance in "The Goodbye Girl", not an easy feat, and oh that ensemble, especially Jack Warden who manages to achieve the impossible, stealing every scene he's in with Dreyfus.
So this brash young man isn't so confident in spite of his cocky attitude, hiding his fears behind lots of showy attitudes and actions. His brother (ironically named Lennie Kravitz) became a doctor against his will with his uncle's help and hates it, and his struggling father looks on at the world with cynicism and somehow envies son Duddy for his independent mindedness. Other acquaintances, friends and business associates share their views of the world, some resentful for being Jewish and others devoted to the religion and culture that had followed their people through history like a plague. You learn much about cultural pride as well as some of these individuals own self hatred as well as theories of why Jewish people of varying generations feel that they have become persecuted and the various reasons surrounding that.
So there is not much in the way of story but you do get to see these people for their varying qualities, particularly Duddy who is quite likeable in spite of sometimes being outwardly dislikeable and often dishonest for reasons he believes are honorable. Randy Quaid, Denholm Elliott and Joe Silver are among the other familiar faces important in his life, and there is also Micheline Lanctôt, the love of his life who comes and goes, often making Duddy feel like he's been betrayed which leads to a final showdown at the end, indicating an incompleteness to the story, something which often happens in life. There is also the commentary of the other characters throughout the film as to what they think of Duddy, even minor ones, but all they do is show that what you may see on the surface is not always what you get. Dreyfus is better here than he was in his Oscar winning performance in "The Goodbye Girl", not an easy feat, and oh that ensemble, especially Jack Warden who manages to achieve the impossible, stealing every scene he's in with Dreyfus.