"The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz", 1974, Ted Kotcheff

“You think I never read a book. I’ve read books. Big deal. They always make fun of guys like me. Pusherke. Guys that want to get somewhere…”

Duddy Kravitz is a classic character of Canadian literature. Crafted by the great Mordecai Richler in his novel of the same name, Duddy is someone that we have all come across in our own lives at one time or another. Driven to succeed at any cost, they are the pushers. The cheaters. The liars who don't necessarily have their hearts in the wrong place. As much as we may wish to distance ourselves from these people, however, as the tag line of the film says; "There's a little bit of Duddy Kravitz in everyone."

The the film begs the viewer to ask themselves a few questions. How far would you be willing

to go to realize your dreams? How important is it to you that you prove yourself? How far is too far? In Duddy's pursuit of his goals, he puts himself and everyone around him to the test. Driven by his desire to prove himself to his grandfather by owning land (the mark of a "somebody"), Duddy works his fingers to the bone, hatching one scheme after another. He takes advantage of the people who care about him wherever he can. Duddy surges forward to meet his ends, leaving a trail of broken promises and hurt in his wake. His relationships with his girlfriend, Yvette, and with his best friend, Virgil, are stretched to the limit. In the end, Duddy is left wondering if in the pursuit of what he wanted, he wound up losing the things that were truly important.

Canadian Ted Kotcheff takes the helm on this adaptation of one of our country's most celebrated novels, and he brings the book to life admirably. From the streets of poor Montreal to the gorgeous wilderness that Duddy hungers to make his own, it leaps from the page to the screen vividly. A young Richard Dreyfus handles the role of Duddy Kravitz with vigor and confidence, if perhaps a tad high on intensity. The supporting cast fills out the film wonderfully, and in a few cases are pitch-perfect matches to the tone of their written counterparts. Denholm Elliott as Mr. Friar, the filmmaker, handles the role of a blacklisted drunkard with style, and Joe Silver is incredibly charming as the unapologetic owner of a Steel Mill, Mr. Farber.

The film stands as a well-done adaptation of a novel that should be on every Canadian's list of absolutely essential reading.