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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

PG

1974

2h 1m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Duddy Kravitz (Richard Dreyfuss) lives in the shadow of his brother, whom his father, Max (Jack Warden), and his Uncle Benjy (Joseph Wiseman) are helping to put through medical school. Seeking to rise above his family's poverty, Duddy aspires to purchase and develop lakefront land near the hotel resort he is working at in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains. But Duddy's quest to make something of himself reveals a harsh determination to do whatever he has to in order to make his dream a reality.

Eric Hynes

Time Out

What makes The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz great is also what makes it exasperating-namely its nonjudgmental dedication to the character's point of view, petty amoralities and all.

Rated: 4/5

May 28, 2013

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Andrew Pulver

Guardian

Dreyfuss would go on to bigger things, but not all of them better.

Rated: 4/5

May 24, 2013

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

It's a little too sloppy, and occasionally too obvious, to qualify as a great film, but it's a good and entertaining one, and it leaves us thinking that Duddy Kravitz might amount to something after all, should he ever grow up.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 23, 2004

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The caffeinated performance by Richard Dreyfuss captures not so much the snake-oil-salesman seediness of such a character but, more crucially, the eager-beaver earnestness that attracts others.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2024

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John Simon

Esquire Magazine

The film has going for it a well-observed milieu, a rich gallery of colorful locals, and a wealth of incident that sometimes gets out of hand.

Jul 28, 2020

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John Hofsess

Maclean's Magazine

If acting alone could save Duddy Kravitz, it would be a good film, but acting cannot save a story as thin and threadbare as this.

Feb 10, 2020

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Dave S

After being advised by his grandfather that a man without land is nobody, young Duddy Kravitz (Richard Dreyfus) embarks on a journey to acquire real estate in the Quebec countryside, sacrificing his morals and scruples along the way. Based on Mordecai Richler’s classic Canadian novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Ted Kotcheff’s adaptation remains true to the source material, thanks in large part to Richler himself writing the script. The movie is worth watching for the Dreyfus performance as the immoral and frenetic protagonist, a solid performance from a young Randy Quaid in a supporting role, and excellent period details. However, the rest of the cast overact to the point where it’s uncomfortable to watch at times and the movie has not aged particularly well. It’s not a bad film, but it certainly has its flaws.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

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Blobbo X

Engrossing character study. (Character not always finest.)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

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Mark A

Richard Dreyfuss is awesome!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/03/23

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Audience Member

Great story . Good cast . My favourite Dreyfuss movie

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/21

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Audience Member

First time seeing this movie, I had read and enjoyed the book in high school. Set and shot in Montreal, it's very much a Canadian film. Richard Dreyfuss looks so young here, and it's only a few years before he did "Jaws". There's also a very young Randy Quaid who recently go in trouble in Montreal. Worth a watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

I didn't like it at all, I found it rushed, annoying and rather stale. Dreyfus put in a valiant effort but the dull storytelling made his portrayal seem out of place. The entire screenplay felt forged from the novel due to the fact that mordecai Richler was hired to screen write. I think in order for the film to reach a fresher standard, a new input is needed and more originality crafted.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Ted Kotcheff

Director

Richard Dreyfuss

Duddy Kravitz

Micheline Lanctôt

Yvette

Jack Warden

Max Kravitz

Randy Quaid

Virgil

Joseph Wiseman

Benjy Kravitz

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Synopsis

Duddy Kravitz (Richard Dreyfuss) lives in the shadow of his brother, whom his father, Max (Jack Warden), and his Uncle Benjy (Joseph Wiseman) are helping to put through medical school. Seeking to rise above his family's poverty, Duddy aspires to purchase and develop lakefront land near the hotel resort he is working at in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains. But Duddy's quest to make something of himself reveals a harsh determination to do whatever he has to in order to make his dream a reality.

Director: Ted Kotcheff
Producer: John Kemeny
Screenwriter: Mordecai Richler
Production Co: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): May 22, 2012
Runtime: 2h 1m