Review of Diggers (2007) by Alex T — 15 May 2007

[font=Century Gothic]In "Diggers", as independent clam diggers on Long Island are being pushed out by the South Shell corporation in 1976, an old clam digger dies of a heart attack while at work on the Great South Bay. His son, Hunt(Paul Rudd), also an amateur photographer, is plagued by guilt over sleeping late that morning. Hunt's sister, Gina(Maura Tierney), works as a short order cook while starting to explore her sexuality after her divorce.(I don't understand how somebody can cook and read "The Hite Report" at the same time.) One of their friends, Lozo(Ken Marino, who also wrote the screenplay), is especially hard hit, since he has a family to feed.[/font].

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[font=Century Gothic]"Diggers" is a gentle and occasionally amusing slice-of-life movie about a disappearing way of life that is neither maudlin nor nostalgiac.(Even though I've lived on the south shore of Long Island for most of my life, I don't feel particularly connected to these characters since most of the fathers I knew growing up either worked at Grumman or in New York City.) It is unusual to see a group of men in their thirties that have for the most part not settled down yet, especially in this time and place, and they do seem to be suffering from a collective case of arrested development. Of all the storylines, Lozo's is the most compelling as he has a family to support and the one with the most at stake. Hunt is rather cliched in that he had a father he feels did not understand him but his photographs do serve a purpose. [/font].

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[font=Century Gothic]The movie gets a lot of period details right but others are off. The sexual revolution is alluded to but did people smoke more thirty years ago than they do now? Much is made of the 1976 Presidential election but did that change much outside of the benefit of getting Kissinger out of office?(Probably not what the filmmakers meant.) And there is nothing about the Yankees who were on their way to win their first pennant in 12 years.(Maybe all the characters are Mets fans?) But I can certainly understand how at least one of the characters has never been to New York City.[/font].

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[font=Century Gothic]Speaking of the end of an era, Paul Rudd and Ken Marino were both guest stars on last week's episode of "Veronica Mars." [/font].