Diamonds
Director: | John Asher |
Writer: | Allan Katz |
Miramax Films; R; 90 minutes | |
Release: | 12/99 |
Cast: | Kirk Douglas, Dan Aykroyd, Corbin Allred |
At an impressive 83, Kirk Douglas returns to the silver screen. He's an octogenarian boxer, and clips from Douglas' 1949 film The Champion prove it. Only his teenage grandson (Corbin Allred) believes Grandad's story of receiving diamonds for throwing a fight, diamonds that remain ensconced in Nevada. Instead of plopping Pop in a retirement home, three generations of men head out on an action-packed road trip to see if the diamonds actually exist. (Yes, that is Lauren Bacall as the brothel-owner.) Silly, heart-warming episodes ensue, with Harry (Douglas) dropping familial wisdom in every frame.
Kirk Douglas resists the urge to ham things up, but he doesn't have to: the scenario does it for him. Intermittently successful, fans may leave hoping Douglas was flexing his muscle against a more formidable opponent.