A Dose of Dreyfuss

THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ – Canadian; Panavision;1974; 106 minutes; PG. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Randy Quaid, Denholm Elliott, Jack Warden, Micheline Lanctot.

Here is an early Dreyfuss film that tells the story of an ambitious, greedy young kid (Duddy Kravitz) in late 1940’s Montreal. Duddy grew up listening to stories from his father and grandfather about the Boy Wonder, a local character who allegedly started out poor and inch by inch turned pennies into fortunes and became a millionaire. Duddy assumes he can do the same or more. The sheer energy Dreyfuss brings to the role is remarkable and the writing by Mordecai Richler is excellent. Relentless in his pursuit to own land and be “somebody,” Duddy throws himself into a variety of get-rich schemes, legal and illegal, that succeed in driving away the people who love him the most. Universal themes of making a parent proud and striving for success, combined with fine acting, even in the cameo roles, allow us to still root for Duddy despite his heartbreaking obsession with wealth and fame. Watch for the scenes of Duddy trying to make money by producing hilarious bar mitzvah films.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND – Panavision; 1977; 137 minutes; PG. Directed by Stephen Spielberg; Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Melina Dillon, Teri Garr, Francois Truffaut.

Strangers Roy Neary and Jillian Guiler become attached in friendship and wonder after each has made contact with a UFO. Unexplainable visions of a mountain cause electrical lineman Roy (Dreyfuss ) to ignore his family while he creates models of the mountain with whatever materials are handy, including mashed potatoes. Jillian (Dillon) has lost her young son to the aliens who came one night and took the boy. Dreyfuss campaigned hard to get this part and is very good as the “everyman” type, part boy, part man, in awe of a new reality. This film is part of the American Film Institute’s Top 100 American Films and is available in a variety of special and anniversary editions. It is a great film to watch multiple times and is very enjoyable for older children and adults. Why the aliens make contact and how the Americans respond to the situation is ultimately revealed. Watch for classic images of Devils Tower and the railroad crossing, and civilians entering the beautiful spaceship.

Mostly Mathhau

A NEW LEAF – Paramount; 1971; 102 minutes; G. Directed by Elaine May, Screenplay by Elaine May. Starring: Walter Matthau, Elaine May, Jack Weston, James Coco.

In this screwball comedy, Matthau shines as lazy but fashionable playboy Henry Graham. When his rich and eccentric uncle announces he will be giving his fortune to Radio Free Europe, Henry is appalled to learn his own funding will disappear. Henry determines that he must therefore marry an heiress and then do away with her promptly in order to return to his lavish lifestyle, because rich is all he has ever wanted to be. Enter awkward, myopic heiress/botanist Henrietta (May), a woman so clumsy she can get tangled up just struggling to get herself dressed. Henrietta and Henry marry quickly and he plots her demise. Henrietta is sweet and Henry is very frustrated, and human nature in its complexity is revealed. May’s slow physical comedy is flawless, and the viewer wants to just reach into the screen and help her before she stumbles again. May was the first woman to write, star in, and direct the same movie. Matthau’s elastic facial expressions and emotional roller coaster in this film prove he was best at comedy.

HOPSCOTCH – Panavision; 1980; 102 minutes; R. Directed by Ronald Neame, screenplay by Brian Garfield and Bryan Forbes. Starring: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, and Herbert Lom.

Successful but aging CIA agent Miles Kendig (Matthau) is fired after he fails to arrest a KGB agent. Furious at his treatment, Kendig flies off to Austria to Glenda Jackson’s chalet. Seeking revenge, Kendig writes his memoirs, exposing many secrets in the agency. He then mails his memoir to his tightly-wound ex-boss (Beatty) as well as all the other leading world spy agencies, one chapter at a time. Soon, the CIA and numerous foreign agents are on Kendig’s trail and the game begins. Matthau is wonderful as the quick-witted, humorous spy, reminding the world of his brilliance. Filmed in beautiful locations, accompanied with music by Mozart, and featuring delightful bantering and chemistry between Matthau and Jackson, "Hopscotch" is a comedy must.