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DIGGERS / Katherine Dieckman (2006)

April 23rd, 2007 by Scott Marks

Lauren Ambrose & Paul Rudd in DIGGERS (2006)

Diggers (2006)

Directed by: Katherine Dieckmann

Written by: Ken Marino

Cast: Lauren Ambrose, Shannon Barry, Andrew Cherry, Richard Council, Ron Eldard, Marc Fogel, Django Gilligan, Josh Hamilton, Ken Marino, Sarah Paulson, Alex Pickett, Jonny Pickett, Paul Rudd, Scott Sowers, Maura Tierney

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Running Time: 89 min.

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Diggers feels like a pilot for a character-driven HBO comedy series.

Four friends, all second generation clam-diggers, shuck away the 70s before fate sticks out a size 12EE to trip them up. The first whirlwind of guilt nearly levels Hunt (Paul Rudd). Hung-over, Hunt arrives late for work only to find his dad slumped over the wheel of his dinghy.

His best friends are there to do whatever they can, which isn’t much when you consider the pedigree of these three reprobates. Jack is a slimy, career Casanova who, after the funeral, immediately hooks up with Hunt’s sister Gina (Maura Tierney).

Cons (Josh Hamilton) is first and foremost a drug dealer. Being his best customer takes a close second. Constantly stoned, drunk or a combination thereof, Cons is your stereotypical 70s burnout/fountain of trendy psycho-prattle.

Lozo, played with pig-gusto by screenwriter Ken Marino, makes Bing Crosby look like father of the year. Not since Bad Lieutenant Harvey Keitel’s profanity strewn diatribe in front of the kids has a father worked so hard to introduce blue material into his children’s vocabulary.

Lozo is a one-man fertility clinic. When he and his timid wife Julie (Sarah Paulson) aren’t procreating they’re doing battle over where they’ll get the money to raise all these toddlers. And she better not even think of getting an abortion. No one is going to kill Lozo’s kid!

The foursome could simply agree to lay down arms and work for the enemy. There are giant corporations eager to buy out the local diggers. These conglomerates not only add drama, they give our boys a collective sense of victimization.

Set against a still untouched swatch of the Hamptons area of Long Island, the film suffers from period overkill. Seventies product placement and paraphernalia litter both screen and soundtrack. If only the characters had as much nuance as the busy production design.

Paul Rudd, who worked with much better material in last year’s The OH in Ohio, is a very appealing actor. Lovely ginger-bird Lauren Ambrose adds spice (and Technicolor radiance) as Hunt’s big city summer fling. Having never watched an episode or E.R., I can see why people were taken by Maura Tierney, whose performance tops an overall fine ensemble cast.

There are worse ways to spend your ten bucks. That’s about all the enthusiasm Diggers brings forth.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

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Filed Under Reviews, Theatrical