Review of Diggstown (1992) by Timothy S — 23 Aug 2014

With an unusual, forgettable title and no A-list stars, "Diggstown" came and went with little fanfare during a summer filled with high profile films. It deserves a wider audience, as it's an underrated film with a couple of terrific performances and a winning story that builds to a truly cheer-worthy finale.

It was directed by Michael Ritchie, a great comedic filmmaker who specializes in sports comedies, and because of that, the boxing scenes are quite thrilling. I've long been a sucker for con pictures, and this is one of the better ones in recent memory. Star James Woods is at his snarky best here, a good guy with none of the usual good guy trappings, and it's a great swan song for veteran Lou Gossett, Jr. in one of his last big starring roles.

But a film like this doesn't work without a great villain, and it really is Bruce Dern that makes this all work so well. With those big teeth and shark-like grin, he truly is a bad guy you love to hate. He has some truly evil moments here that make the payoff even more satisfying, but the screenplay by Steven McKay always manages to keep things light and lively. It also provides a few surprises along the way and that terrific ending that you won't see coming, but there are a few subplots it could stand to lose. Heather Graham looks great, but she serves little purpose and is simply forgotten about after a while.

"Diggstown" is a crowd pleaser looking for a crowd. Those who stick it out and likely to greatly enjoy it.