Diggstown

Diggstown (1992)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Michael Ritchie

Starring: James Woods, Louis Gossett, Jr., Oliver Platt, Bruce Dern, Heather Graham

From: MGM

I saw this film late Monday night, as by the time I am posting this now on this site it is gone from Netflix Instant and due to high praise from several different people I figured it was about time I saw it, and now I am glad I did. Besides what I mentioned below in my Letterboxd review it also has a quality score from James Newton Howard. I will return tomorrow night.

In a matter of a few hours this film is going to disappear from Netflix Instant; I know it's still available at places like Amazon Instant Video but I wanted to see it for free so that's what I did last night. At least I did hear it's getting a new DVD and Blu release late this summer. It was the motivation from someone I know on a messageboard and some strong tweets from a few people independent from each other inspired me to check it out; I saw the trailer as a kid but last night was the first time I saw it in full.

This is not complex but it works: conman Gabriel Caine (James Woods) is released from prison and with pal Fitz (Oliver Platt) they seek to pull a big con in the title town, a small place in the middle of nowhere Georgia. While they're charming you'll want to root for them as they go against John Gillon (Bruce Dern), a real SOB who is a hustler himself and owns most of the land in town. The deal is that boxer “Honey” Roy Palmer (Louis Gossett, Jr.) has to defeat ten boxers in a 24 hour period. It sounds a little far fetched but you're still interested in seeing if it could actually happen.

I am not even a boxing fan and it's still a film I really do enjoy. It isn't really about the fights and it's more about the characters and how entertaining they all are, even the villain Gillon and some of the harsh things that happen in the film; you are interested in seeing him and Caine try to outwit each other through various machinations, and there's plenty of comedy to go alongside the drama of the con and several characters ending up in dire straits.

There are some familiar faces in supporting roles, from Marshall Bell and Randall “Tex” Cobb to Jim Caviezel and as the referee, martial artist/actor Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. Heather Graham is also present and she isn't a dumb love interest; rather, she's a sharp lady who does contribute to the plot. I appreciate such nuances.

If you want to see an entertaining con movie/feel good story with a very charming person in Roy Palmer to root for with many funny bits, then this cult film is a must-see.