The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

1974

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

100%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 11

72%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 764

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Movie Info

Richard Dreyfuss put himself on the map with his performance in this movie about how ambition and greed can drive someone at the expense of his own happiness. Duddy Kravitz (Dreyfuss) is an 18-year-old Jewish kid from Montreal whose mother is dead, and whose father drives a cab and does a little pimping on the side to pay the bills and send Duddy's older brother to medical school. Duddy has bigger dreams, and he does everything from producing films of bar mitzvahs to attempting to buy real estate to (unknowingly) smuggling heroin in order to strike it rich. Along the way, however, he alienates his girlfriend, drives his grandfather to despair, loses all his friends, and even paralyzes his best employee, while making himself more and more miserable. Duddy's desire to be a success is easy to understand, which makes this potentially unlikable character forgivable, and the film's gallery of details and characters adds realism and energy to the story.

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Cast

Richard Dreyfuss
as Duddy
Micheline Lanctôt
as Yvette
Jack Warden
as Max
Randy Quaid
as Virgil
Joseph Wiseman
as Uncle Benjamin
Denholm Elliott
as Friar
Henry Ramer
as Dingleman
Joe Silver
as Farber
Zvee Scooler
as Grandfather
Robert Goodier
as Calder
Allan Rosenthal
as Lennie
Barrie Baldaro
as Paddy
Alan Migicovsky
as Irwin
Barry Pascal
as Bernie Farber
Judith Gault
as Tarty Woman
Susan Friedman
as Linda
Jacques Durette
as Bodyguard
Jonathan Meyer Robinson
as Rabbi
Edward Resmini
as Bernie Altman
Vincent Cole
as Moe
Henry Gamer
as Lawyer
Sonny Oppenheim
as Cohen
Lionel Schwartz
as Arnie
Robert Desroches
as Laplante
Norman Taviss
as Grandfather Farber
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Critic Reviews for The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

All Critics (11) | Top Critics (4)

  • 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.

    May 28, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Eric Hynes

    Time Out
    Top Critic

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

    May 24, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Andrew Pulver

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • 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.

    Oct 23, 2004 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    Roger Ebert

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic

  • An alternately sad and hilarious movie of dreams rampant.

    Jan 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Vincent Canby

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • Ted Kotcheff's adaptation of Mordecai Richler's CanLit classic brought a hint of Hollywood to the wilderness of Canadian cinema, blazing a trail for the next generation of storytellers looking to bring a slightly different eye to the Canadian experience.

    Nov 16, 2015 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Katherine Monk

    Ex-Press.com

  • OK, but very dated, early Richard Dreyfuss. It DID put him on the map, however.

    Dec 23, 2006 | Rating: 3/5

    Steve Crum

    Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers
View All Critic Reviews (11)

Audience Reviews for The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

  • Jul 18, 2013
    Considered one of the greats of Canadian cinema, "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" is a modest effort from director Ted Kotcheff that details the rise and fall of a young Jewish kid whose aspirations and greed end up cutting him off from his friends and family. One of the reasons why "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" is so successful is because of how it remains indifferent to the actions of its titular character, never showing him in a negative light even when it's clear that what he's doing isn't exactly morally sound. The performances are all brilliant, especially from Richard Dreyfuss, Jack Warden, Barry Pascal and Denhom Elliot, and overall, the film is an exceptional tale of how greed can fulfill one's dreams while simultaneously destroying everything else in their lives.
    Stephen E Super Reviewer
  • Nov 06, 2009
    Dreyfuss looks really young and he's great in this. Interesting rise and fall kinda film.
    Wu C Super Reviewer
  • Jul 29, 2007
    It was quite a coup to get Dreyfuss for the role. I can't imagine anyone else doing as effective a job.
    John B Super Reviewer
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