Parents' Guide to

Diggers

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Intimate '70s indie drama won't interest kids.

Movie R 2007 87 minutes
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What's the Story?

DIGGERS is a small period drama that tackles everything from death and abortion to the demise of independent fishermen in 1970s Long Island. Hunt (Paul Rudd) comes from a long line of clamdiggers but would rather practice photography. When Hunt's dad dies unexpectedly, he bottles up his emotions, while his sister, Gina (Maura Tierney), takes up with the neighborhood lothario (Ron Eldard). Hunt and Gina's colorful friends include Lozo (Ken Marino); his long-suffering wife, Julie (Sarah Paulson), and the clique's perpetually high philosophizer, Cons (Josh Hamilton). All of them endure the little indignities that accompany working-class life, but with enough booze, cigarettes, and company, they all manage to survive day by day. When Hunts meets summering Manhattanite Zoey (Lauren Ambrose), her brassy worldliness finally makes him curious about the world beyond Long Island.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Starring a notable ensemble of character actors -- many of whom are equally at ease with both comedy and drama -- Diggers is an affecting chronicle of hard-working, hard-partying friends. Director Katherine Dieckmann's eye for detail expertly depicts the blue-collar '70s tableau -- from the fashions to the nonchalance with which a father drives his un-seatbelted children around in a hearse-like station wagon. Hunt's experience at the film's bittersweet end will remind everyone who's ever left a small town just how exciting and terrifying it can be to leave home and everyone you know.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how both people and institutions behave in the movie. What's the movie's message about what big companies do to independent workers? Do you agree? Why or why not? And how do the characters react to difficult issues like grief and complicated parent-child relationships? Families can also discuss the movie's '70s setting. Do you think this is an accurate depiction of that era? Do you think the same story could have been told in a contemporary setting? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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