Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 38

Good work by all hands on 'Duane Hopwood' REVIEW By DAN GROSS grossdphillynews.com David portrays anal- DUANE HOPWOOD Parents' Guide: language Running time: 88 minutes Showing at: Ritz Five Duane: David Schwimmer Linda: Janeane Garofalo Anthony: Judah Friedlander Gina: Susan Lynch Fred: Dick Cavett only friend. There's no fairy-tale ending in "Duane Hopwood," but viewers are still left with the feeling that maybe everyone's better off than they were. Mulhern, an actor who formerly appear ed on "Major Dad," and directed the straight-to -video "Walking to the Water line," does a great job directing his honest script. 1 enough to let the emotional, and sometimes comical, story tell itself, with no over-the-top dialogue nor worse, overacting. The cast features comedian Janeane Garofalo, here excellent in a serious role, as Duane's ex-wife Linda whom Duane is both trying to win back (he still wears his wedding ring) even though he's fighting her in a custody battle after his drinking and driving (with one of their daughters in tow) has Linda thinking twice about him being around the children.

An element of comic relief is Judah Friedlander who plays An-thony Duane's best and maybe "Duane Hopwood" is not a bad guy. He's just got a drinking problem that he won't admit to. David Schwimmer stars as Duane in this well-acted, well-shot indie film, about a casino -working, alcoholic, divorced dad at risk of losing rights to see his children. "Hopwood," written and directed by East Mount Airy native Matt Mulhern, filmed for one month early last year in four New Jersey cities: Atlantic City, Vent-nor, Margate and Longport. While watching Schwimmer booze curse, and toss abicycle into the ocean, you're not thinking of his character from "Friends," which is what actors long associated with one role, hope for, but don't always achieve.

The movie is understated 0 Written and directed by Matt Mulhern, produced by Melissa Marr, Lemore Sy-van and Marc Turtletaub, music by Michael Rohatyn, distributed by IFC Films. LGF LIONS GATF. FILMS EBERT ROEPER, Richard Rceper "TERRENCE HOWARD GIVES ANOTHER GRIPPING PERFORMANCE. FOX-TV, Shawn Edwards THE MOST POWERFUL MOVIE OF THE YEAR! Profoundly uplifting and utterly provocative." This is a very strong film." il WESTWOOD ONE, Bill Bregoli "HARD-EDGED AND HIGH WGNWB, Dean Richards (Chicago) "A RAW AND EMOTIONAL VELOCITY. wmMjam film." USHER Mi ABE EIVIHE YOU JHE EMHEE IB SEE it IH JHE MIX BEFORE AHYBHE FROM THE ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED DIRECTOR OF "MY LEFT FOOT" GET RICHMDIE TRYIN' CURTIS "50 CENT" JACKSON PARAMOUNT PICTURES preshts I HTERSCOPESH ADYAFTER MATH FILMS and MTV FILMS nuni a JIM SHERIDAN flm "GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN" CURIO CENT'JACKSON TERRENCE HOWARD JOY BRYANT BILL DUKE ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE OMAR BENSON MILLER VIOLA DAVIS JS QUINCY JONES, GAVIN FRIDAYand MAURICE SEEZER JOHN HOULIHAN SHA MONEY XL pftoDucra HEATHER PARRY nmal GENE KIRKWOOD STUART PARR VAN TOFFLER DAVID GALE ARTHUR LAPPIN and DANIEL LUPI JIMMY IOVINE PAUL ROSENBERG CHRIS LIGHTY To enter, e-mail your name, address, and telephone number to: TERENCE WINTER "BBS JIM SHERIDAN SOUNDTRACK ALBUM AVAILABLE DN UNITIIITEKUPE RECORDS jgE X5 ticketsalliedadvpub.com GetRichOrDieTryinMovie.com "BBMBBBS For rating masons, go to www.fll PLEASE SPECIFY 'IN THE MIX' IN SUBJECT UNE.

AMC DEPTFORD MALL 6 856-845-8184 AMC MARLTON 8 AMC 309 CINEMA 9 215-6464551 AMC FRANKLIN MILLS 14 215-612-2715 AMC GRANITE RUN 8 NATL AMUSEMENTS ATCO MULTIPLEX CINEMAS 856-768-5500 REGAL CINEMAS BURLINGTON 20 800-FANDANGO (259) REGAL CINEMAS CROSS KEYS 12 800-FANDANGO (265) REGAL CINEMAS MARKETPLACE 24 800-FANDANGO (341) REGAL CINEMAS PLYMOUTH MTG. 10 800-FANDANGO (335) UNITED ARTISTS 69TH STREET 800-FANDANGO (654) UNITED ARTISTS CHELTENHAM 800-FANDANGO (649) AMC NESHAMINY 24 215-7224262 AMC ORLEANS 8 215-7224262 AMC PAINTER'S CROSSING 9 610-5584793 AMC WOODHAVEN 10 215-244-1200 THE BRIDGE CINEMA DE LUX 215-386-3300 beginning Friday, 111105 to Sunday, 111305. Winners will be chosen at random. One ticket per person (each admits two) No purchase necessary. While supplies last.

Employees of the PNI and Lions Gate Films are not eligible. CINEMARK 16 856-784-7964 LOEWS CHERRY HILL 800-FANDANGO (7 AMC MARPLE 10 610328-5348 PAGE 38 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER II, 2005.