Diamonds (1999 film)

Diamonds
Directed byJohn Mallory Asher
Written byAllan Aaron Katz
Produced byPatricia Green
Starring
CinematographyPaul Elliott
Edited byCarroll Timothy O'Meara
David L. Bertman
Music byJoel Goldsmith
Distributed byMiramax Films
Release date
  • September 6, 1999 (1999-09-06)
Running time
91 minutes
LanguageEnglish

Diamonds is a 1999 American comedy drama film directed by John Mallory Asher and written by Allan Aaron Katz. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall, Jenny McCarthy, and Corbin Allred.[1]

Several clips from Douglas' 1949 film Champion are used to illustrate his character's career as a boxer.

Plot

An elderly man and his estranged son search for treasure and try to repair their relationship. Harry Agensky (Kirk Douglas) is a one-time welterweight boxing champion who lives in Canada with his son Moses (Kurt Fuller). Harry's other son, Lance (Dan Aykroyd), feels that his father never really cared about his dreams and ambitions, and now Lance has little affection for his Dad. However, Lance's relationship with his teenage son Michael (Corbin Allred) is not faring much better.

Lonely since the death of his wife and infirm due to a stroke, Harry wants to retire to a ranch in Northern Canada, but he can't afford the property. Lance invites Harry along for a skiing trip with Michael; Harry agrees, but at the last minute he talks them into going to Nevada instead. Harry claims he threw a fight years ago and was paid off in a cache of diamonds that he hid somewhere in Reno; if he can find the gems, he'll be able to buy the ranch. Lance is dubious, but he gives in to Harry's determination and the three head for Nevada, hoping to find the diamonds.

On the way there, the men visit a local brothel run by madame Sin-Dee (Lauren Bacall), when Harry convinces the group, so that he can have sex for the first time in eight years.18-year-old grandson Michael gets his Dad to let him join so that he can lose his virginity. Following their quest for the hidden diamonds, both father and son learn a lesson about reconciliation and the price of growing older.

Cast

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 26% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Kirk Douglas' flinty performance fails to overshadow an otherwise dull and cliche-ridden affair."[2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 33 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[3]

References

  1. ^ Holden, Stephen (December 10, 1999). "FILM REVIEW 'Diamonds': Kirk Douglas Plays a Guy Who Looks a Lot Like Him". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Diamonds". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 20, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ "Diamonds". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
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