Diving In | |
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Directed by | Strathford Hamilton |
Written by | Eric Edson |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Hanania Baer |
Edited by | Marcy Levitas Hamilton |
Music by | Guy Moon |
Production companies | Maurer/Shaw Productions Creative Edge Films |
Distributed by | Skouras Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Diving In is a 1990 American independent sports comedy-drama film directed by former music video director Strathford Hamilton, starring Matt Adler and Kristy Swanson. [1]
Diving In was the first film from the Indianapolis-based production company Maurer/Shaw Productions. [2] Mark Shaw, one of the executive producers, said he wanted to make an Indiana film with Midwestern values "that [would] measure up to anything that comes out of Hollywood." [3]
The movie was filmed around Indianapolis at locations including the Indiana University Natatorium and the Pike High School pool. Famed Indiana University diving coach Hobie Billingsley makes a cameo appearance during the final competition scene. [3]
Wayne Hopkins is a high school diver afraid of heights; he aspires to make the Olympic team but has nightmares about the high diving platforms of his sport, and as a result freezes up constantly. Causing more complications in his life are school bullies, his critical parents, and an adversarial coach who prefers rival athlete Jerome, who is fawned over by girls including Wayne's rebellious, heavy-drinking sister Terry.
Wayne enlists the help of a former women's Olympic coach to overcome his fear. His training ultimately leads him to the state finals, where he attempts a difficult, esoteric dive no one has ever performed at a state meet.
The movie received poor reviews from many outlets, primarily for what critics called a derivative plot. These included the Orlando Sentinel ,; [1] the Philadelphia Inquirer, which compared it unfavorably to other sports films like Rocky ; [4] and The Indianapolis News , which said it "makes diving as exciting as taped highlights of deliberations of UNESCO's Full Committee on the Standardization of Dry Measurements and Weights." [2] Both the Inquirer and The Indianapolis News reviewers noted the fact that diving is a solo sport and argued that the film's treatment of it lacked drama. [4] [2]
The Indianapolis Star , while also noting cliched plot elements, was more positive, saying that the film "delivers what it promises--and delivers it well." [3]
Hobart Sherwood Billingsley was an American diver and coach. Billingsly started diving in the local YMCA, where he taught himself how to dive. Reaching state championships as a senior in high school, Billingsley was recruited to Ohio State University, where he won the NCAA title in both the one-meter and three-meter event. After leaving school to enlist in the United States Armed Forces during World War II, Billingsly returned to complete his post-graduate education. Billingsly's coaching career started at the high school level, where he built a program that won a state high school championship. He was quickly recruited to coach at the college level for Indiana University, where he coached for 30 years, leading them to six NCAA championships. During this time he also coached the U.S. Olympic Diving team on three occasions. After his coaching career, Billingsly stayed involved with diving by providing technical direction to divers and diving coaches. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and published a book on diving and coaching. In 1996, he took the oath for all officials at the Atlanta Olympics.
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