''Diggers'' is a coming-of-age film directed by

Katherine Dieckmann Katherine Dieckmann is an American film and music video director known for her work with R.E.M. and the feature films ''Good Baby'' and ''Diggers''. Music video filmography *" Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. *"Stand" by R.E.M. *" Your Ghost" by K ...

. It portrays four working-class friends who work as clam diggers in

West Islip West Islip is a hamlet and CDP founded roughly in 1683, located in the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Situated on the South Shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 27,048 at the time of the 2020 census. ...

, on the South Shore of

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

, in 1976. The movie was written by

Ken Marino Kenneth Joseph Marino (born December 19, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He was a cast member on MTV's ''The State'' and has starred in shows such as ''Party Down'', '' Marry Me'', ''Burning Love'', and ''Childre ...

, who also stars. His father worked as a clam digger, in

Moriches, New York Moriches ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Suffolk County town of Brookhaven, New York, United States. The population was 2,838 at the 2010 census. History The name "Moriches" comes from Meritces, a Native American who owne ...

Plot

Four working-class friends work on Long Island, New York, as clam diggers. Their fathers were clam diggers as well as their grandfathers before them. They must learn to face the changing times in both their personal and professional lives.

Cast

Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ...

as Hunt *

Lauren Ambrose Lauren Anne D'Ambruoso (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Lauren Ambrose, is an American actress and singer. She performs in television, film, and on Broadway. Ambrose had television roles as Claire Fisher in ''Six Feet Under'' ( ...

as Zoey *

Ron Eldard Ronald Jason Eldard (born February 20, 1965) is an American actor. Early life Eldard was born on Long Island, New York. He is the sixth of seven children, and has four sisters and two brothers. He is of Irish and Scottish descent. Eldard's mothe ...

as Jack *

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...

as Cons *

as Lozo *

Sarah Paulson Sarah Catharine Paulson (born December 17, 1974) is an American actress. She began her acting career in New York City stage productions before starring in the short-lived television series '' American Gothic'' (1995–1996) and '' Jack & Jill' ...

as Julie *

Maura Tierney Maura Therese Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on the sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), Abby Lockhart on the medical drama '' ER'' (1999–2009), ...

as Gina *

Marie Matiko Marie Matiko (born September 12, 1970) is an American actress. Early life Marie Matiko is of Chinese, Japanese and Filipino descent, born in Los Angeles County and grew up in Huntington Beach. She grew up wanting to become a concert pianist. I ...

as Keiko

Production

''Diggers'' was filmed over a period of 21 days, mostly in

Tottenville, Staten Island Tottenville is a neighborhood on the South Shore, Staten Island, South Shore of Staten Island, New York City. It is the southernmost settlement in both New York City and New York (state), New York State. Tottenville is bounded on three sides by w ...

. The budget was $1.5 million. David Wain was originally set to direct the film. Marino wrote the screenplay with Rudd in mind as the lead character. Dieckmann shot the photographs used by Rudd's character.

Release

''Diggers'' was released on April 27, 2007, and premiered on

HDNet AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sport ...

on April 27, and was released on DVD on May 1.

Critical reception

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' called the film "a tragicomedy of entropy, a film that wonders what happens to men when they can't do the only thing they know how to." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' opined that it "never quite breaks out of its talky inertia." ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' concluded that "the movie belongs to Ken Marino, who is riotously funny as the family man whose anger-management problem at last finds a fitting target in the big businessmen who come to destroy his living." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote: "It also demonstrates that a solid formula, no matter how frequently followed, can be refreshed if it is handled with affectionate care. From ''I Vitelloni'' to ''Diner'' to ''The Groomsmen'', a group of aging boys clinging together as the scary future threatens their solidarity is a natural movie subject. And ''Diggers'' works that formula with such confidence and knowledge of its particular environment that you hardly notice the craft behind it."

References

External links

DVD Talk review of Diggers
* {{IMDb title, id=0469897, title=Diggers 2006 films 2006 drama films 2000s coming-of-age drama films American coming-of-age drama films Films scored by David Mansfield Films set in New York (state) Films set in the 1970s Magnolia Pictures films 2000s English-language films Films directed by Katherine Dieckmann 2000s American films