Duane Hopwood

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Duane Hopwood ★★★ 2005 (R)

Duane (Schwimmer), a casino pit boss, is a loving husband and father, with a steadfast unwillingness to deal with his alcoholism. It's a sad but familiar story in which Duane watches as his wife (Garofalo) and daughters drift away, he loses his job as a result of a costly mistake, and his life becomes increasingly defined by his drinking schedule, his drinking friends, and his drinking spots. While Duane's alcoholism is never fully resolved, his life is viewed from an entirely human, even sympathetic point of view. Cast somewhat against type, Schwimmer brings a visceral heartache to his portrayal. 83m/C DVD . US David Schwimmer, Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, Susan Lynch, Dick Cavett, Steven R. Schirippa, John Krasinski, Lenny Venito; D: Matt Mulhern; W: Matt Mulhern; C: Mauricio Rubenstein; M: Michael Rohatyn.