Duane's family has a history of tilting at windmills. An idealistic teenager, he takes on an inherited battle and, although his motives are heroic, his methods are astoundingly wrong-headed. As memorable for its richness as for its comedy, this brilliantly funny film has, at its heart, a great and mysterious loss that informs every choice the characters make.
When he is defeated in his run for student council president by the many-tentacled Milton family, Duane Balfour (Douglas Smith) launches Operation Infinite Justice and focuses his battle on Chad Milton (Nicholas Carella), the obnoxious grandson of the local oligarch. Duane's antipathy for Chad brings him nothing but trouble and his teacher, Miss Houston (Vivica A. Fox), challenges him to set his sights higher. Seeing an opportunity to break the cycle of Milton rule and nepotism, Duane decides to run for Mayor. His greatest supporter is his Uncle Bingo (Donal Logue) - a guy who once bet on a horse named Glue Factory.
Duane's family knows there is a steep price to be paid for fighting the good fight. As Duane begins to see the consequences of his choices, Bingo reminds him that sometimes it's better to just keep your head down. In this family, there are no easy answers, and heroism is a double-edged sword.
Even surpassing his acclaimed debut, The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico, director Michael Mabbott conveys the unique tone of Citizen Duane with skill, confidence and subversive glee. The screenplay, by first-time feature writers Jonathan Sobol and Robert DeLeskie, marks them as talents to watch. As Duane, Smith is a wonderful discovery. He vacillates between boy and man, with a mature political intensity that inspires. Logue makes a most welcome return to Canadian film with an understated comic performance as the kind and befuddled Bingo.
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