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Autumn Leavings:
Duane Hopwood
11-18-05 "Knight Thoughts" film review
by Richard Knight, Jr.
David Schwimmer and Janeane Garofalo in a chilly tale of foggy regret
David Schwimmer is in every scene of Duane Hopwood a small independent feature written and directed by Matt Mulhern and
even though he’s playing a hapless down on his luck, alcoholic everyman, he doesn’t wear out his welcome.  For those who have
followed Schwimmer’s career outside of “Friends” it won’t be surprising to learn that he can do a lot more than sitcom mugging.  The
picture is scaled small and stays within its emotional limits.  Hapwood – for reasons that aren’t apparent – has become a hopeless
drunk and it’s cost him his marriage and within five minutes of the picture’s opening, his driver’s license.

Once his ex-wife, the forgiving but fed up Linda (Janeane Garofalo in a beautifully controlled performance) finds out that one of their
small daughters was in the backseat when Duane is arrested for drunk driving, his downward spiral begins in earnest.  Each new
indignity (and there are a lot) comes because of his excessive drinking and his frustration at seeing his life spin out of control.  It
takes Duane a long time to accept that the rest of the world just got tired of waiting for him to wake up and moved on while he was
buzzed in the fog of alcohol.

This downer of a movie -- set against the empty, forlorn Jersey sea coast in late Autumn, with its looming casinos and barren vistas
-- is lightened periodically by eccentric characters like Anthony (Judah Friedlander), a janitor at the casino where Duane is a pit boss
who dreams of doing stand up and becomes his new roommate.  Dick Cavett and Bill Buell as Duane’s gay neighbors Fred and Wally
also have some nice bits as does Susan Lynch as Gina, a no-nonsense bartender who begins an affair with Duane but isn’t about to
put up with his crap.

Schwimmer’s character does all those things that make you cringe about drunken fools – he’s in such emotional pain he just can’t
help himself.  There are scenes where he reacts in anger out of frustration and those are understandable, too.  The guy’s on
quicksand, loves his kids and his ex-wife and can’t figure out how to get back on steady ground.  I was reminded at times of Albert
Finney’s masterful, giant sized version of the character he played like this in Alan Parker’s
Shoot the Moon.  Schwimmer’s character is
much more contained and one doesn't ever really get a sense why the drinking has taken hold in the first place.  And sad to say –
there is a sameness to the story and characters that isn’t particularly enticing.

Duane Hapwood isn’t half bad or half good either.  It’s sort of a happy medium.  Not a bad place to reach for a small independent
movie like this one.  A nice first feature for Mullhern with good work from Schwimmer, Garofalo and cast that saves the picture from
mediocrity.