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Digging for Fire
Digging for Fire
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Digging for Fire
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoe Swanberg
Written by
Produced by
  • Joe Swanberg
  • Alicia Van Couvering
  • Jake Johnson
Starring
CinematographyBen Richardson
Edited byJoe Swanberg
Music byDan Romer
Production
company
Lucky Coffee Productions
Distributed byThe Orchard
Sony Pictures Worldwide
Release dates
  • January 26, 2015 (2015-01-26) (Sundance)
  • August 21, 2015 (2015-08-21) (U.S.)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$119,000

Digging for Fire is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Joe Swanberg and co-written by Swanberg and Jake Johnson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom and Mike Birbiglia. Johnson and DeWitt play a married couple who find a gun and a bone in the backyard of a house they are staying in.

The film's plot was inspired by a similar incident in which Johnson discovered a gun and a bone in his backyard. Instead of a traditional script, he and Swanberg wrote an outline that summarized the plot but included no dialogue. They cast the film mainly by contacting their friends and other actors who they knew had enjoyed their previous work. It was filmed over 15 days in Los Angeles County, California. Swanberg dedicated the film to filmmaker Paul Mazursky.

Digging for Fire premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2015. It was released in theaters on August 21, 2015, by The Orchard and on video on demand on August 25, 2015. The film was generally well received by critics.

Plot

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Lee, a yoga instructor, brings her husband Tim, a gym teacher, and their 3-year-old son Jude to house-sit in a client's house for a few weeks while the client is away. While walking around the property, Tim finds a gun and a bone in the backyard. At first he wants to dig up the surrounding ground to see if a body is buried there, but Lee convinces him it is a bad idea.

When Lee and Jude leave for the weekend to stay with her parents so that Tim can work without distraction on the family's taxes, he invites a group of friends—including Ray, Phil, Adam, and Paul—to the house for the night. After a few drinks, they decide to dig up the backyard together, quickly finding another bone and a license plate. Phil, who is skeptical about the digging, leaves with Adam and Paul as Tim's friend Billy and call girls Alicia and Max arrive at the house. Billy pairs off with Alicia and Ray with Max while Tim continues to dig. He finds a shoe before deciding to go to sleep.

The next morning, Tim is visited by a neighbor who warns him that digging for buried items in the backyard is a bad idea and says that the site was once the "Chicano Hall of Fame". Soon afterwards, Max returns to pick up her purse and finds Tim digging again. She joins him and discovers a plastic bag filled with bones. Meanwhile, Lee goes to visit her sister Squiggy and brother-in-law Bob for an afternoon after complaining to her mother that she no longer feels she has an identity outside of being a mother and wife.

Phil returns to the house and, seeing Tim with Max, assumes that Tim is cheating on Lee. Tim and Max go out to dinner and Tim confesses that he feels his marriage to Lee has deteriorated since they had a child. Lee goes to a bar alone, where she meets Ben. When Ben is punched by another man at the bar, she accompanies him to visit Alicia, who is a medical student and a friend of his, so that Alicia can suture his wound. As Tim and Max smoke marijuana together at the house, Ben cooks dinner for Lee.

Max leaves the house when Ray reappears and Tim accuses Ray of ruining his night. Lee and Ben make their way to the beach and share a kiss. Tim returns to the backyard and uncovers a ring and what appears to be a human hand before he decides to stop digging. He throws everything he has found back into the hole he has dug before starting to fill it in. He walks back up to the house and, finding Lee waiting for him, kisses her. The next morning, they pack up their belongings and go to pick up Jude.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]
Digging for Fire was inspired by a real incident in which Jake Johnson (pictured) dug up a bone and a gun in his backyard.

Digging for Fire was based on a real incident in which Jake Johnson and his wife dug up a bone and a gun in the garden of a house they had rented. Over a couple of weeks, he and a group of his friends dug up various objects before deciding to bury them again. Johnson described the experience to Joe Swanberg about three years later and they decided to make a film about it.[1] They wrote a two-and-a-half–page outline[2] that summarized the plot but included no dialogue or detailed character descriptions.[3][4] Swanberg wanted the actors to improvise the details of each scene and allowed them to make choices about their characters: for instance, Orlando Bloom decided that his character would ride a motorcycle, Chris Messina suggested that his character go swimming naked,[4] and Brie Larson persuaded Johnson and Swanberg that her character would not be sexually attracted to Tim.[5]

Digging for Fire features an ensemble cast,[6] the largest Swanberg had worked with at the time.[7] He and Johnson cast the film by contacting friends and other actors who they knew had enjoyed their previous film together, Drinking Buddies.[4] Rosemarie DeWitt and Swanberg decided to work together after her husband, Ron Livingston, starred in Drinking Buddies.[6] Unlike the other actors, Orlando Bloom was cast through an agent.[4] Swanberg cast his own son, Jude, as the three-year-old son of the lead characters.[1]

The film was shot over 15 days[2] in Los Angeles[8] and Malibu, California.[9] Swanberg and cinematographer Ben Richardson decided to shoot on 35 mm film rather than digitally, as most of Swanberg's previous films had been made. They decided to shoot on film, Richardson said, because "there is a certain visual integrity to a film-derived image that is still lacking for me in most of the digitally-derived imagery that we see".[8] Although the film's dialogue was improvised, the actors rehearsed each scene before filming so that the scene could be blocked out due to the constraints of working with film rather than digital.[3]

Swanberg found the process of editing Digging for Fire more difficult than for his previous films, since there were many different possibilities of how to integrate the separate storylines involving Tim and Lee. He dedicated the film to Paul Mazursky, who died in 2014, because of the influence Mazursky had on Swanberg's work and because of the thematic similarities between Mazursky's work (particularly the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice) and Digging for Fire.[10]

Release

[edit]

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2015. Shortly after its premiere, The Orchard and Sony Pictures Worldwide acquired North American and international distribution rights respectively.[11] The film went to be shown at the Chattanooga Film Festival,[12] Sarasota Film Festival,[13] Chicago Critics Film Festival,[14] Maryland Film Festival,[15] and Traverse City Film Festival.[16] The film was given a limited release in American theaters on August 21, 2015, earning $25,000 from three locations on its opening weekend. It later expanded to 30 theaters and earned a total of $119,364 from its 38-day run.[17] It was released on video on demand on August 25, 2015.[18]

Reception

[edit]

Digging for Fire has been met with generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 66% approval rating, based on 67 reviews with an average rating of 6.15/10. The site's consensus states: "Digging for Fire finds director/co-writer Joe Swanberg working from a familiar palette, but in ways that suggest he's taking new and exciting strides as a filmmaker."[19] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 69 out of 100 based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]

Film critic Richard Roeper described Digging for Fire as "a movie made by someone who clearly loves the art of movies" and praised the casting and editing.[21] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote of the film's "appealing honesty" and its "tight, satisfying narrative".[22] Variety's Ben Kenigsberg characterized the film as "a lovely slice of everything and nothing" and gave particular praise to the cinematography, editing and improvisation.[23] Peter Travers, who awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars in a review for Rolling Stone, highlighted the performances, cinematography and score, and felt that Digging for Fire showed Swanberg to be "a true filmmaker".[24] Screen International critic Tim Grierson found the film to be honest and insightful, and drew particular attention to Johnson and DeWitt's "nimble, low-key performances".[25] An Banh of Indiewire opined that the film was the most "emotionally mature" of Swanberg's works and that each of the actors gave "purposeful, plot-driven performances" in spite of the large cast.[26]

The Austin Chronicle's Kimberley Jones, on the other hand, felt that the story suffered because of the large cast and wrote that "mostly it's just a toe listlessly pushing dirt around".[27] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune praised Ben Richardson's cinematography and "natural tone" of the acting but felt that the dialogue was lacking, giving the film 2 out of 4 stars.[28] The San Francisco Chronicle's G. Allen Johnson also criticized the "forced and uninteresting" dialogue and thought that the story and characters felt "phony".[29] The Boston Globe critic Ty Burr found the film uninsightful, writing that "Swanberg is tilling soil here that has been churned since humanity began", and felt that the plot focused too much on Tim rather than Lee.[30] Chris Nashawaty gave the film a C+ grade in Entertainment Weekly, dismissing it as "Joe Swanberg's latest meditation on aging-hipster malaise".[31]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Digging for Fire is a American comedy-drama film directed by and co-written by Swanberg and . The story centers on a married couple, Tim and Lee, who are house-sitting a luxurious property for a wealthy client; while there with their young son, Tim discovers a human bone and a rusty in the brush, sparking his curiosity and leading the pair on separate, introspective adventures over a single weekend. Known for its improvisational dialogue and ensemble-driven narrative, the film explores themes of marriage, parenthood, and personal discovery through a loose, character-focused structure typical of Swanberg's style. The film features a notable , including leads as Tim and as Lee, alongside supporting roles by , , , , , , , and . Produced independently with a budget that emphasized naturalistic performances over scripted precision, Digging for Fire premiered at the on January 26, 2015, before receiving a in the United States on August 21, 2015, distributed by The Orchard. With a runtime of 83 minutes, it blends elements of , , and mystery, though its improvisational approach has drawn comparisons to Swanberg's earlier works like . Critically, Digging for Fire received mixed reviews, earning a 64% approval rating on based on 70 reviews, with critics praising its relaxed ensemble dynamics and emotional depth while noting occasional meandering pacing. On , it holds a score of 69 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Ebert's review highlighted its humor and star-studded cameos, awarding it three out of four for capturing the "kooky" essence of marital exploration. Despite its festival buzz, the film did not garner major awards but solidified Swanberg's reputation for intimate, actor-centric storytelling.

Synopsis and cast

Plot

Tim () and his wife Lee (), a young couple with a son named Jude, arrive at a luxurious house in the to house-sit for one of Lee's clients while the owners are away. While clearing brush and doing yard work with their dog, Tim discovers a rusty old and what appears to be a human bone buried in a dry creek bed near the property. Excited by the potential mystery, Tim reports the find to the local police, who dismiss it as insignificant unless a full body is uncovered and advise him to stop digging since it's not his land. Lee, more practical and concerned about maintaining the job, urges Tim to focus on their overdue taxes instead of pursuing the discovery, but Tim becomes increasingly fixated on the idea of or a hidden crime. To give Tim space to handle the paperwork, Lee decides to take Jude to visit her wealthy parents—her mother () and stepfather ()—but soon opts for a night out with her friend Squiggy () and another couple, including Ron Livingston's character, seeking some personal freedom amid the strains of marriage and parenthood. Meanwhile, alone at the house, Tim invites his brother-in-law Phil (), a more grounded friend who tries to keep him on task with the taxes, but the gathering escalates when Tim's old buddies Ray (), a free-spirited adventurer, and Billy T. () arrive with two women, Alicia () and Max (). The group drinks heavily, swims naked in the pool, and debates the implications of the find, with Ray fueling Tim's obsession by suggesting it could be the site of a mob hit or lost pirate gold, leading to comedic and introspective conversations about , risk-taking, and escaping routine life. As the night progresses, Tim and his friends sporadically dig at the site, unearthing a few more small bones and teeth, while flirtations emerge—particularly between Tim and Max, who shares his intrigue over the mystery and joins him for a late-night excavation that blurs into a near-romantic . Parallel to Tim's chaotic evening of male bonding and half-hearted sleuthing, Lee's night out takes unexpected turns as she reflects on her desires for independence and excitement outside her marriage. At a local bar, an aggressive stranger harasses her, but she is rescued by Ben (Orlando Bloom), a charming but enigmatic motorcycle-riding restaurant manager with a bandaged hand from a recent accident. Their chance encounter evolves into a flirtatious connection, with Ben fighting off the aggressor and later allowing Lee to tend to his wound at a nearby house, sparking candid discussions about relationships, fidelity, and the monotony of domesticity that tempt her toward a brief escape. As the separate adventures unfold through the night, scenes highlight the couple's unspoken midlife tensions—Tim's pull toward boyish adventure and Lee's yearning for —culminating in moments where both nearly cross lines in their encounters. The next morning, Lee returns to the house, where Tim confesses his distractions and the minimal additional findings from the dig, which turn out to be animal remains rather than evidence of foul play, deflating the mystery but allowing the couple to reconnect through honest conversation about their needs and fears. The closes with Tim and Lee embracing a renewed sense of , choosing to prioritize their over individual impulses, as they leave the property behind.

Cast

The film features an . The principal roles are played by the following actors: Supporting and minor roles include: No prominent uncredited or cameo appearances are documented in production credits.

Production

Development

The development of Digging for Fire originated from a personal anecdote shared by co-writer and star . While house-sitting for friends in the area, Johnson discovered a , an old , and a license plate buried in the yard, igniting his curiosity about potential mysteries and sparking the film's central plot of a couple uncovering suspicious items on a remote property. This real-life incident, which Johnson described as leaving him wondering about hidden histories, provided the foundation for the story's exploration of unexpected discoveries disrupting everyday life. Johnson collaborated closely with director on the screenplay, building on their successful partnership from the 2013 film . The duo opted for a loose outline rather than a traditional script, allowing for extensive in the dialogue to capture authentic, naturalistic conversations—a hallmark of Swanberg's mumblecore-influenced style seen in earlier works like and Happy Christmas. This approach emphasized character-driven scenes over rigid plotting, enabling the ensemble to develop interactions organically during production. Swanberg and Johnson completed the outline in late 2013, with pre-production advancing through 2014, culminating in the film's selection for the . As a low-budget independent production, Digging for Fire was financed through private investors and production entities including Johnson's own efforts as a producer, alongside companies like Pictures and the Walcott Company. The modest scale allowed flexibility for Swanberg's improvisational method without the constraints of studio oversight. Swanberg intended the film to delve into themes of and personal exploration, using the mystery discovery as a for buried tensions in relationships; the loose ensemble structure follows the central couple—played by Johnson and —separating for individual journeys that reveal their evolving dynamics.

Casting

The casting process for Digging for Fire exemplified the informal, relationship-driven approach common in independent cinema, with director and co-writer directly contacting friends and repeat collaborators rather than holding traditional auditions. Swanberg, known for his roots, assembled what was then his largest ensemble, prioritizing actors familiar with his improvisational style to facilitate the film's loose, outline-based structure. Key selections drew from prior projects, such as , where Johnson, , and had previously collaborated with Swanberg; these actors were invited back to leverage their established chemistry and comfort with on-the-fly dialogue. was specifically chosen for the female lead to portray subtle marital tensions alongside Johnson, selected after Swanberg approached her directly via her husband Livingston's connection, praising her innate "searching quality" and maternal presence that aligned with the character's needs. To infuse star power into the ensemble, was cast in a supporting role, drawn to the project's improvisational freedom despite his unfamiliarity with such methods; he contributed character details like a motorcycle-riding persona, which Swanberg approved to enhance the film's dynamic. Other additions, including , , and , were secured through similar personal outreach, emphasizing enthusiasm for the low-budget vibe over formal tryouts. The fast-paced indie schedule posed challenges, with limited time for casting decisions; Swanberg and Johnson relied heavily on actors' availability amid their busy careers, necessitating more upfront planning—like a 10-page outline—compared to his earlier, more minimal scripts, while still fostering an environment conducive to spontaneous performances. Cameos from figures like and further highlighted the project's appeal to Swanberg's extended network of collaborators.

Filming

for Digging for Fire took place over 15 days in early 2014, employing a guerrilla-style approach with a minimal crew to facilitate spontaneous . The production wrapped in April 2014. Filming occurred primarily in Southern California, utilizing residences in the Hollywood area for the house-sitting sequences, canyon locations for the protagonist's exploratory digging, and various urban spots in Los Angeles for the wife's narrative threads. A luxury home in Los Angeles served as the central setting, emphasizing themes of domesticity and class. Cinematographer Ben Richardson captured the action on 35mm film, adopting a handheld, naturalistic style that acted as a quiet observer to the characters' intimate, improvisational interactions. This organic, looser aesthetic enhanced the film's focus on everyday conversations and relational dynamics. Production designer Liz Toonkel created minimalist sets that underscored the story's emphasis on routine family life, with simple sourcing for key props such as the discovered and to maintain an air of authenticity. In post-production, director handled editing to preserve the narrative's loose, meandering flow amid the ensemble's separate storylines. prioritized ambient realism, capturing the subtle environmental textures of the settings to immerse viewers in the characters' personal explorations.

Release

Premiere

Digging for Fire had its world premiere on January 26, 2015, at the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Premieres section. The premiere featured attendance from key cast members, including Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, and director Joe Swanberg. Following the screening, a Q&A session discussed the film's exploration of marriage. The story's premise was inspired by Johnson's real-life discovery of a gun and bone in his backyard. The film's festival circuit continued with additional screenings at independent events throughout 2015, generating buzz that facilitated its commercial path. Shortly after Sundance, on January 30, The Orchard acquired North American distribution rights, underscoring the successful launch for this indie comedy-drama.

Distribution

Following its premiere at the , Digging for Fire secured a North American distribution deal with The Orchard, leading to a in the United States on August 21, 2015. The rollout began in select cities including New York and , expanding the following week to approximately 20 major markets nationwide. availability followed shortly after on August 25, 2015, broadening access beyond theaters. Marketing efforts highlighted the film's and improvisational style, with official trailers released in July 2015 that teased the central mystery of a discovered and gun while showcasing stars like , , and . Promotional activities included interviews with director discussing his approach to indie filmmaking and the project's roots in personal anecdotes, as well as cast appearances on outlets like LAist to emphasize themes of marriage and discovery. The strategy leveraged the festival-to-theater pipeline, building buzz from Sundance screenings to drive limited theatrical attendance. International distribution was minimal, managed by , which acquired global rights excluding . The film saw limited theatrical releases in select markets, with no widespread international rollout due to its independent nature. Home media options became available with the DVD and Blu-ray release on November 3, 2015, distributed by Paramount Home Media. By 2025, streaming rights had shifted, with the film accessible for free with ads on platforms like and Fandango at Home Free, as well as subscription services including and ; rental or purchase options remain on and Apple TV. In late 2025, Blue Harbor Entertainment began handling U.S. distribution, including a free full-movie stream on premiering November 11. The limited run reflected the film's modest indie budget, with no major controversies or delays impacting its rollout.

Reception

Critical response

Digging for Fire received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its performances and of marital dynamics, though some found its plot meandering and underdeveloped. On , the film holds a 64% approval rating based on 70 reviews, with the consensus noting that director and co-writer works from a familiar palette but takes new and exciting strides as a filmmaker. On , it scores 69 out of 100 based on 22 critic reviews, indicating generally favorable reception. The film also earned an average rating of 5.8 out of 10 on from approximately 7,100 user votes (as of November 2025). Critics lauded Swanberg's evolution beyond roots, highlighting the film's graceful editing, strong improv-driven chemistry among the , and insightful examination of , parenthood, and class tensions. Variety's Ben Kenigsberg described it as Swanberg's "starriest picture to date," praising its tight editing, moody cinematography, and status as a "stealth marital drama" that deepens his thematic concerns while appealing to a broader audience. IndieWire's review gave it an A grade, calling it a polished, plot-driven entry that marks a mature new phase in Swanberg's career, effectively using the mystery element as a for internal marital conflicts. O'Malley of awarded it 2.5 out of 4 stars, appreciating its humorous take on serious topics like and connection, with hilarious and specific performances from the cast. Conversely, some reviewers criticized the film's loose structure, underdeveloped characters, and failure to resolve its central mystery gimmick, viewing it as aimless despite its ambitions. The Guardian's called it "excruciatingly dull," faulting the characters for lacking depth and the plot for relying on implausible behavior and an overreliant electronic score to feign significance. Slant Magazine's Chuck Bowen noted in a 3/4-star review that while the film captures L.A.'s social energies and regrets effectively, its pulp mystery serves more as a than a compelling driver.

Box office

Digging for Fire earned $119,364 at the domestic box office in the United States and , representing its entire worldwide gross with no notable international earnings. The film opened on August 21, 2015, in a limited release across three theaters, generating $24,544 during its debut weekend for a per-screen average of $8,181. Its theatrical run lasted six weeks, peaking at 30 theaters in its second weekend when it earned $48,473, before declining to two theaters by the final week with a cumulative total of $119,364. Produced on an estimated budget of $150,000, the film's modest theatrical performance fell short of recouping costs solely through cinemas but achieved profitability through backend participation in ancillary markets such as and streaming. As an independent production without a major international distribution push, its results were typical for the indie sector, where success often derives more from festival exposure and digital platforms than wide theatrical .

References

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