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

Excellent con/boxing flick

Diggstown is one of the few movies that has ever made me actually cheer out loud. If you've seen it, you know the moment at the end that I'm talking about. I've seen it a few times now, and even though I know how it ends, I still love seeing the ending over and over. It's pretty much a formula movie, but is well-done and has some very clever moments and one-liners thrown in to keep you interested. Take for example when Woods and Dern are discussing the rules for the fight. Woods opens a bottled drink in one motion only with his thumb (twisting, not prying), right before answering one of the questions posed to him. It's a great effect and lets the audience know just how smooth Gabriel Cain is.

Louis Gossett does a great job and is believable as a boxer. The fights are obviously over-choreographed, but they're still better than any of the horribly unrealistic Rocky sequences. Oliver Platt is excellent as Cain's sidekick, Fitz. Look for Heather Graham before she became a celebrity....some things never change, though....yowsa!

I definitely recommend Diggstown...it's not an award-winning or thought-provoking type of movie, but it's a lot of fun.