Il coraggio di cambiare

There's a certain tenderness that sifts its way through "Duane Hopwood", a post-Friends starring vehicle for David Schwimmer that navigates the tentative dialogue between alcoholism and the dark cloud that hangs not just above the individual, but those who surround themselves around the afflicted throughout their darkest days. Take comfort in them, as they are the saints who prop you up when you're down and show you life's little rainbows over the puddles of rain.

There's considerable sincerity in Matt Mulhern's second feature and credit has to go to its cadre of performers who are mainly made up of fairly well known stand-ups and comedians. They shed their onstage personas to become real people and it shows that the understanding they share also allows these actors to have better chemistry among themselves. Schwimmer, in particular, breaks his personal mould and gives a nuanced, careful portrayal of a man teetering on life's edge. His perpetual hangdog exterior allows Duane some measure of sympathy even through the most appalling decisions that he has made.

In one astoundingly bad decision, he drives his youngest child home while drunk and in the process loses the only things that has tethered his life together in an uncaring courtroom that does not deal in circumstances but the cold, hard facts of Duane's unforgivable mistake. That instance proves too much for his wife, Linda (Janeane Garofalo) to handle. She's not an uncaring woman in any respect, just a mother who does not gamble the lives of their two young daughters with the hope of her husband changing anytime soon.

"Duane Hopwood" does not make a caricature out of its titular character, and it does not pile on the disheartening melodrama out of alcoholism. While not concerning us with the issues of why and how Duane becomes who he is, it does specify that it's a whole different world for alcoholics especially the ones deep in denial. It truly excels in crafting a delicate and carefully drawn portrait of an alcoholic who's made mistakes in his life and has to find a way to live through them. Understanding in only a way that comes to those who observe life through fortitude, it's genuine in the sense of showing ordinary people in ordinary situations who react in ordinary ways. They cope and the film is thoughtful enough to refrain from putting cinematic spins on issues that are already inherently interesting.

Thankfully, it's mindful of not becoming too much of a downbeat, despairing approximation of Duane's life. Despite everything, he is surrounded by friends and family who still love and yearns for him to be happy. They never forget that he is a good worker, a good father and a good husband cursed with flaws that are slowly taking him over. It's frequent, but low-key sense of humour does hint of the redemption that waits around the corner for the wretched. "Duane Hopwood" is ultimately about picking up the pieces and moving on, and not about fixing what's broken.

One of the perils of being known for a particular role is that its hard to shed that image. David Schwimmer, like the rest of the cast of "Friends" is not financially strapped for cash nor will he ever be. But as an actor, he's trying to break the mold of Ross Gellar (his character on "Friends") that he played for a decade. Of all the "Friends", Jennifer Aniston seems to have made the most out of the show – though all of them have had their ups and downs. I'm leading up to something, bear with me here…It was nice to see a major star like David Schwimmer in a very low-budget, independent film. Add to that the character he plays is the polar opposite of "Ross", it was a stretch for him and he did a good job with his role in "Duane Hopwood". The film was written and directed by Matt Mulhern, himself an actor most remembered for his roles in "One Crazy Summer" and "Biloxi Blues". What's most intriguing about the movie is that the director and stars are all mainly known for their comedic performances (Janeane Garofalo plays Hopwood's ex-wife).

"Duane Hopwood" isn't an easy movie to watch, any movie that deals with the problem of alcoholism is hit or miss. It's easy for actors to try and do too much in their "state" and try to ham it up for the cameras. Schwimmer takes the low road and lets us know that his character has a drinking problem, but doesn't feel the need to rub it in our faces. Duane Hopwood (David Schwimmer) is a casino pit boss at Caesar's Palace in Atlantic City. He's divorced and isn't too happy with his life. He gets pulled over for drunk driving with his daughter in the car and has his license revoked. His only means to get to work is via bicycle. Throughout the course of the movie, we see him try to rebuild his life – trying to reconcile with his estranged wife (only to finally accept that she's moved on). Like most people with a drinking problem, Duane won't admit that he really has a problem – yet it's evident to everyone else. His friend (and later roommate) Anthony (Judah Friedlander) is his inspiration. Anthony wants to be a stand up comedian and it angers Duane that he's following his dreams.

The real message in the movie is about starting over. I don't want to give away the ending, but movies about drunks can only end so many ways and most aren't too satisfying. I have to admit that I was pretty impressed by Janeane Garofalo's performance. She tends to play the same character in most every movie she's in and wit her bleached blonde locks, I hardly recognized her. And speaking of the cast, look for Dick Cavett in the small role of Fred another odd casting choice that seemed to work out. I don't know how personal this was to Matt Mulhern or if he's had problems with alcohol or substance abuse in the past, but as downtrodden as the script was; the performances were great and made the short running time spread out. As I mentioned before, the movie isn't easy to watch but it's quite rewarding.

As a father of a 9-month old perfect baby girl whose wife left him because of pretty much the same circumstances that Duane experienced (save for the DUI and the forced baseball bat incident), my question is why did he not fight his ex-wife's decision to relocate his daughters to another state for a guy who can barely make it at managing a gym? "We'll arrange visitation in a couple of months."!! No way.

Any real Dad who loves his babies would never smile, ride on a bike and in a funny costume next to a car carrying away his life, then attend a Thanksgiving meal and make a toast.

The movie, however, was a decent showing of how addiction destroys families. That part was accurate. Redemption was ignored.

Guess I was just disappointed because I wanted very badly for Duane to accept treatment, turn his ass around, and pursue this "second chance" that the trailer promised. Where was that second chance that was promised? Never came.

There is a certain freedom when you lose everything you ever cared about in life. It sounds insane, I know. But it simplifies the process of life. It means you can start from scratch... A clean slate if you will.

"Duane Hopwood" (David Schwimmer) first loses his sobriety, then his wife and two daughters, then his job, then his hope and comes dangerously close to losing his will to live. At the custody hearing, he tells the judge that he "needs a reason to stay".

The only thing Duane doesn't lose is the unconditional love of his daughters and the loyalty of a very quirky group of friends.

What is so skillful about this film is the way in which it balances our sympathy for Duane's tragic situation with our understanding that Duane is the cause of his own problems and the only one who can remedy them.

The pivot, around which the film's emotional power revolves, is the quite magnificent transformation of David Schwimmer from the almost unshakable familiarity of his role as Ross on NBC's 'Friends' to this ever so sad and bedraggled ex-husband and father who is desperate to stop the sand slipping through his fingers. This is absolutely a career transforming role that, surprisingly to me, certifies that he has a very promising film career as a dramatic actor in front of him. If enough people see this film, he will be reaping the rewards with great parts for years to come.

Janeane Garofalo also delivers in an atypical role. As Duane's estranged wife, she delicately balances the cold-hearted reality of wanting to move on with her life and the sympathetic understanding of someone who knows him better than anyone else. Her role could so easily have drifted into cynical and clichéd 'mean ex-wife' territory... but this film is too smart to go down that path.

There are some truly fine performances from the supporting cast members. Judah Friedlander & Susan Lynch are both very good as Duane's new support system. Friedlander plays Anthony, an aspiring comedian who becomes Duane's roommate. Lynch is Duane's first girlfriend since getting divorced. Each of them change the pace of the film nicely and add depth and nuance to an already powerful story.

I also want to point out the girls who play Duane's kids. So often I complain that bad performances from kids can ruin the believability of a film... However, Ramya Pratt & Rachel Covey are both splendid here.

This film feels like a cross between "The Family Man" and "Leaving Las Vegas"... an odd combination indeed. But it works on so many levels. I laughed during this film. I shed tears in the final act. I cared about each and every character. It is a tremendously well written screenplay, and it is acted with precision.

This is a small independent feature that really deserves a wide audience. Unfortunately, it will have trouble finding one because it doesn't have a huge publicity campaign behind it or 75 copies lining the shelves of DVD stores. I can only hope that word of mouth and positive reviews like mine will convince a few people to seek this film out. If they do, they will find a diamond in the rough and will be telling all their friends about it too.

I saw this in Chicago when it played for a couple weeks. First of all - what happened to this film? Roger Ebert included it in his "Year End Best Of 2005 Movies" list. I guess the distributor - IFC Films - messed it up, because it was one of the best movies I saw all year! David Schwimmer was excellent, and the rest of the cast was too. The writer and director, Matt Mulhern, who is an actor too, has made a movie that will make you laugh and cry, about real people - people you know, people you live with, maybe even you yourself. There are parts of the main character, Duane Hopwood, I think we all can relate to, in the way he struggles to be a good person, but lets his demons get the better of him. And the movie does it without lecturing or preaching, but simply by letting the audience in and telling the story of an everyman who goes to work every day, hoping and praying that the people he loves will continue to love him back. I hope the movie comes out again - boy, does it deserve to be seen! absmith Chicago, Illinois