Alas Aaron has sat down to watch Diggers, so here it goes...

Going into the movie there was really only one things I had on my mind. I know that Ken Marino can write comedy, but can he equal his success from one genre to another, especially something as difficult as drama. Well, the man nails it, with great results. Matter of fact, Marino shines as Frankie, one of the most powerful performances in the film.

Diggers takes place in the mid-to-late 70s in a small New York town right of the shores (near or in Long Island). The only way for a man to live is two fish for clams to pay rent each month. For friends stuggle to stay afloat buddy always seem to be there for each other through the thick and thin. After the sudden death of Hunt's father him and his sister, Gina, must cope with the sudden absense of a father figure. His friend Frankie, on the other hand, is just trying to pull things together in an attempt to keep his marriage and his 5 children alive and well. Their buddy Jack attempts to make his rounds from one girl to the next, while Cons continues to make a living as the town's most prosperous "weed" dealer.

Many reviews including the Variety blurb on the front cover have compared the film to the obvious Diner but a few other films come to mind too. The strongest part of the film is the performance of the four friends which I can't help thinking of such classics as The Big Chill and more recently Beautiful Girls and Good Will Hunting to draw comparison. Ken Marino in a role slightly modeled after his father really shows that he has the chops to tackle more than just comedy. While he often times has some of the best laughs in the film he does an equal job at bringing some of the memorable emotion out of the picture. Paul Rudd, in the lead as Hunt, is equally as impressive as the character destined for much better life than he seems to be living. Ron Eldard and Josh Hamilton are right behind them both with solid performances. Sarah Paulson as Frankie's wife, Julie, and Maura Tierney as, Gina, play some of the most well written female characters I have seen in film for quite some time. Six Feet Under's Lauren Ambrose shows up in a effective supporting role as a big city girl who has an eye for Hunt.

The directing by Katherine Dieckmann, responsible for a handful of R.E.M. videos, does an amazing job at setting up some truly beautiful shots and drawing out some simply great performance from all involved.

I can honestly say I fell in love with this film and was actually really sad when it came to an end after a short 89 minutes. Luckily for me (and hopefully you) Magnolia Pictures has packed the disc full with some great special features. Not only is there an informative commentary track with Dieckmann and Marino (which reveals that David Wain was set to direct the film until Stella was picked up by Comedy Central), but also a 25 minute minute making of/interview, some entertaining and funny deleted scenes, and even a hour long doc on clam diggers entitled Baymen.

So as always get your ass to the local Best Buy or Borders and pick this baby up. It comes with a high recommendation from yours truly and will appeal to any film fan willing to see a honest to god well-written character study of what life is like in a small town. What are you waiting for, get your ass out there an buy it. Now, feast your eyes on the trailer below.