Tim and Lee have been married for 11 years, and the pressures of parenthood and adulthood are overwhelming them. They begin to wonder whether this is the life they want to live. Lee hasn’t had a night out by herself in years; Tim wants to believe he still has a leather jacket-wearing, wild streak in him. During a single weekend, the two go on separate soul-searching adventures.
If anything, “Digging for Fire” demonstrates Swanberg’s ability to craft a laidback atmosphere free of melodrama; the performances and dialogue are casual and naturalistic. The massive supporting cast (Orlando Bloom, Anna Kendrick, Sam Elliott, Sam Rockwell, Brie Larson, Mike Birbiglia, Ron Livingston, Jenny Slate and Melanie Lynskey) is used so nonchalantly. Recognizable actors like Bloom or Elliott make brief appearances in such normal unassuming roles. If you’ve seen any of Swanberg’s other movies (“Drinking Buddies” and “Happy Christmas”) you know that that’s his modus operandi.
Also like his other movies, “Digging for Fire” was heavily improvised; the script consisted of a three-page outline. As a result, it feels more like an informal hangout session than a movie, as if Swanberg called up his actor buddies and asked them to riff about adulthood while he filmed them.
It’s mildly entertaining to watch this group of talented actors freestyle but “Digging For Fire” is ultimately a slight, undercooked effort. Nothing very surprising happens over the course of the 85-minute running time; the resolution is underwhelming and obvious.
The bone-and-gun side plot becomes the only intriguing aspect of the movie. Tim continues to excavate the backyard, finding more bones and human accessories. But even this never blossoms into anything very substantial and instead feels more like a quirky afterthought.
Thankfully, the impressive cast keeps “Digging For Fire” watchable. I wish Swanberg had given them more to do (some of the cast, like Lynskey and Livingston, have only one scene), but without their talent and easygoing charm, the movie would be even more forgettable.
(Rated R for language, including some sexual references; drug use; and brief graphic nudity.)