Richard Dreyfuss is an irresistible young Jewish man in 1948 Montreal. He's driven by an insatiable desire to be a "somebody" and he somehow works his way into our hearts even as he cheats and schemes and connives to buy a large parcel of land. He uses the girl who loves him, he forges checks, he lies... and he is enormously proud of himself because of it. Those around him are tremendously disgusted. We are torn. There's a little bit of Duddy Kravitz in everyone.