Diggstown (1992)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writers (WGA):

Leonard Wise (novel)
Steven McKay (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 August 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Where the pros meet the cons.

Plot:

Gabriel Caine has just been released from prison when he sets up a bet with a business man. The business...

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Bribery | Con Artist | Pool | Loss Of Brother

Cast

James Woods	...	Gabriel Caine
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	'Honey' Roy Palmer
Bruce Dern	...	John Gillon
Oliver Platt	...	Fitz
Heather Graham	...	Emily Forrester
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Wolf Forrester
Thomas Wilson Brown	...	Robby Gillon
Duane Davis	...	Hambone Busby
David Fresco	...	Fish
Willie Green	...	Hammerhead Hagan
Orestes Matacena	...	Victor Corsini
Kim Robillard	...	Sheriff Stennis
John Short	...	Corny 'Buster' Robbins
Michael McGrady	...	Frank Mangrum
Roger Hewlett	...	Sam Lester

Also Known As:

Midnight Sting

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #31768) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Deer Lodge, Montana, USA

Trivia:

During the fight between rounds, James Woods made racial comment to motiviate Louis Gossett Jr.. The comment was about a famous TV mini-series _"Roots" (1977) (mini)_. Gossett was in Roots.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the fight with Busby, Palmer has several bruises on his face and eyes. In the next scene when discussing whether he should go on, the bruises disappear, only to reappear when Palmer begins his next fight.

Quotes:

[before the 10th fight]
John Gillon: Never try and hustle a hustler, Mr. Cain!
[after the 10th fight]
Gabriel Caine: Actually, I believe it goes: Never con a con-man, especially one who's better than you are.
John Gillon: [defeated] You beat me fair and square.

Movie Connections:

References "Roots" (1977)

Soundtrack:

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Shamefully overlooked. Woods has never been better.

At least it has recently appeared on ESPN Classic so it would seem that a cult following may be building for this terrific film. I don't think this one lasted three weeks in the theaters around here, but the first time I saw it on cable, I was hooked. Diggstown is not only a hilarious film, but it's also one of the best "sports" movies I've ever seen.

Our story has a small group of con men led by James Woods who are trying to outwit a corrupt small town kingpin. They bet that "Honey" Roy Palmer (Louis Gossett Jr.) can knock out ten of the town's best boxers in a 24 hour period. Palmer is an outstanding, yet aging talent who "never got his shot". His skills, and the help of some local insiders make Woods and Co think they have a real shot at robbing the town blind. The funny thing is how Bruce Dern, who plays the local kingpin, reacts. He is no fool. He knows that Palmer will be tough to beat, and that Woods is trying to con him. But he has too much pride to pass on the wager. He also thinks the boxing talent in town is certainly good enough to beat a forty-eight year old fighter no matter how good he used to be. You'd think the locals would have the upper hand, but Woods and his people have all kinds of tricks up their sleeve both leading up to and during the matches. Once the wager is agreed to, the film never lets you up for air.

Diggstown is a very funny movie. James Woods could sit down and read the newspaper aloud and it would be entertaining, but here he has a great script to work with. Plenty of one-liners and intelligent dialog are used by everyone. The fight scenes are a considerable cut above any Rocky film ever made. It really looks like people are getting the crap beat out of each other in the ring. The motley crew of locals that Palmer has to fight are a hoot. One of them is even played by The Passion of the Christ's very own Jim Caviezel. He actually makes the mistake of calling Palmer the N-word in the ring. Yikes! There are numerous twists as the conclusion draws near. It becomes a question not of which side has the most endurance, rather which side has the biggest surprises in place to trip up the other. The final twist in one you will absolutely NOT see coming. For great comedy, spectacular fight scenes, and a surprise ending, check out Diggstown. It's a shame more people don't know about this film! 9 of 10 stars.

The Hound.