Joe Swanberg has been around the festival circuit long enough that we know what to expect of him. Primarily, his films are known for their improvised dialogue and the freedom he gives his actors. Digging for Fire is no different. "Co-written" by Swanberg and Jake Johnson, this indie comedy is a fun and sweet glimpse into the lives of married couple Tim and Lee.
Tim (Jake Johnson) and Lee (Rosemarie DeWitt) are living in Los Angeles and decide to stay at the home of one of Lee's yoga clients for a couple of weeks while the client are away filming. Excited to have a small getaway with their young son, they can't keep their real life problems at bay, with Lee nagging Tim to do their taxes and Tim responding by going exploring in the house's backyard only to find a buried gun and human bone. Tim becomes obsessed with the gun and bone while Lee, frustrated, decides to take their son to her parents' house for the weekend while she logs some time apart from her husband. Separated for the weekend and clearly unhappy, they both depart on different paths.
Digging for Fire is refreshing in that Johnson and DeWitt co-headline the film. While it was originally marketed as a "boys weekend" film revolving around Johnson, in actuality it is about both of them leaving their married lives behind for a weekend. While Tim indulges in partying, drinking, flirting, and digging for bones (Chris Messina's penis makes an appearance!), Lee indulges herself by spending an evening with an attractive mystery man (Orlando Bloom) and pretending she doesn't have a husband. It's an interesting look at what many married couples in their thirties go through. Sometimes, being a spouse and a parent is exhausting and its clear that Tim and Lee need this time to blow off some steam. Swanberg's style of improvised dialogue lends the film a laid back, naturalistic vibe present in so many of his films.
Digging for Fire isn't trying to explore anything revolutionary or exciting "“ just the ordinary problems of marriage. But it's something that so many can relate to, married or not, about the tediousness of life. And it's done in such a pleasant way with great actors, realistic dialogue, and funny situations that it's easy to enjoy.
