Diving In

Last updated

Diving In
Directed byStrathford Hamilton
Written byEric Edson
Produced by
  • Jeffrey R. Neuman
  • Martin Wiley
Starring
CinematographyHanania Baer
Edited byMarcy Levitas Hamilton
Music by Guy Moon
Production
companies
Maurer/Shaw Productions
Creative Edge Films
Distributed by Skouras Pictures
Release date
  • September 21, 1990 (1990-09-21)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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]

Contents

Background

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]

Plot summary

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.

Cast

Critical reception

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobie Billingsley</span> American diver (1926–2022)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Shaw (basketball)</span> American basketball player and coach

Brian Keith Shaw is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played both guard positions, but was used primarily at point guard in his 14 seasons in the NBA. He won three NBA championships playing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, is home to several sports teams. These include the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons, the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the National Association of Professional Baseball

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United States competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 286 competitors – 245 men and 41 women – took part in 133 events in 18 sports. They won 76 medals, including 6 podium sweeps; the highest number of medal sweeps in a single Olympiad by one country since World War II and still a record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Jamerson</span> American basketball player (born 1967)

John David Jamerson is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft. Jamerson played for the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets in 3 National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons as well as 4 Continental Basketball Association (CBA) teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pike High School</span> Public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Pike High School is a public high school on the northwest side of Indianapolis, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball</span> Mens basketball team of Purdue University, Indiana, US

The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a men's college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference.

The Mission Viejo Nadadores is one of the largest swimming and diving clubs in the United States. The team is located in Mission Viejo, California, training at the Marguerite Aquatic Center. The "Nadadores" were started in 1968 and have had athletes at every Olympics since 1976. The team holds the record for winning the most team titles at the USA swimming Nationals, having won 48. The Dive Team has also won 48 National Championship and is the only team in history to sweep all 4 World Championships in one year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Gribble</span> American swimmer

Matthew Owen Gribble was an American High School and College competitive swimmer, 1982 World Aquatics champion, two-time U.S. Olympic team member, and an August 1983 world record-holder in the 100-meter butterfly. He also swam on a 4x100 U.S. medley relay team at the August 1982 World Aquatics championships that set a world record of 3:40.84.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana University Natatorium</span> Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Indiana University Natatorium is a swimming complex on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It also serves as the home of the IUPUI School of Health & Human Sciences with its offices on the second level and the Polaris Fitness Center on the first level. The Human Performance Lab is housed in the basement of the Natatorium building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Lenzi</span> American diver and coach

Mark Edward Lenzi was an American Olympic diver and diving coach. Lenzi was known for his Olympic gold medal in the 1992 Olympic Games, and his Olympic bronze medal in the 1996 Olympic Games on the 3 m springboard.

The White River Park State Games is a defunct sporting competition that took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1983 to 1994. It was for amateur athletes throughout the American state of Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Actors Workshop</span>

The Actors Workshop is one of southern California's oldest film acting programs and is generally associated with the Sanford Meisner and Charles Conrad techniques. The company was established by its parent company, Shannon & Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Wichman</span> American swimmer

Sharon Lynn Wichman, also known by her married name Sharon Jones, is an American former competition swimmer and 1968 Olympic champion in the breaststroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Vogel (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

Matthew Haynes Vogel is a swim coach of over forty years, an American former competition swimmer for the University of Tennessee, a 1976 Olympic gold medalist in the butterfly and medley relay, and a former world record-holder in the 4x100-meter medley relay event.

Kelly Anne McCormick is a retired female diver from the United States. She twice competed for her native country at the Summer Olympics, winning a silver (1984) and a bronze medal (1988) in the Women's 3m Springboard event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year</span>

The Summit League Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the Summit League. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season. Two players, Caleb Green of Oral Roberts and Mike Daum of South Dakota State, have each won the award three times. Five other players have won the award twice: Jon Collins of Eastern Illinois, Tony Bennett of Green Bay, Bryce Drew of Valparaiso, Keith Benson of Oakland, and Max Abmas of Oral Roberts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steele Johnson</span> American diver

Steele Alexander Johnson is an Olympic silver medal-winning American diver. He has won multiple national titles at both the junior and college levels. Johnson made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, where he won a silver medal with David Boudia in the men's 10 m synchronized platform diving competition. Johnson is a six-time senior national champion with USA Diving. He won the 10-meter platform at the 2013 USA Diving Winter Nationals, was a 15-time junior national champion, and was a four-time champion at the Junior Pan American Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Windle</span> American Olympic diver

Jordan Pisey Windle is a Cambodian-born American diver. He is the first diver of Cambodian descent to compete in the Olympics.

References

  1. 1 2 Boyar, Jay (September 21, 1990). "Pathetic 'Diving In' Sinks Straight to the Bottom". Orlando Sentinel. ProQuest   277791534 . Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Mannweiler, David. "'Diving In' not a bad film, but it's not exciting either". The Indianapolis News. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Rose, Rita (September 21, 1990). "'Diving In' offers teens message of reaching goals". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Ryan, Desmond (October 12, 1990). "A Diver Struggles to Compete in the Olympics". Philadelphia Inquirer. ProQuest   1835540446 . Retrieved February 5, 2024.