''Diving In'' is a 1990 American film directed by former music video director Strathford Hamilton, starring

Matt Adler Matthew D. Adler (born December 8, 1966) is an American film actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in the 1980s teenage films: ''Teen Wolf'', '' White Water Summer'', and '' Dream a Little Dream''. He starred in '' North Shore''. He c ...

and

Kristy Swanson Kristy Swanson (born December 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is best recognized for having played Buffy Summers in the 1992 film ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and appeared in the 1996 film ''The Phantom''. Her first starring role was in ...

Background

''Diving In'' was the first film from the Indianapolis-based production company Maurer/Shaw Productions. Mark Shaw, one of the executive producers, said he wanted to make an Indiana film with Midwestern values "that

ould Ould is an English surname as well as an element of many Arabic names. In Arabic contexts it is a transliteration of the word wikt:ولد, ولد, meaning "son". Notable people with this surname include: English surname * Edward Ould (1852–190 ...

measure up to anything that comes out of Hollywood." The movie was filmed around Indianapolis at locations including the Indiana University Natatorium and the Pike High School pool. Famed

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

diving coach Hobie Billingsley makes a cameo appearance during the final competition scene.

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

as Wayne Hopkins *

as Terry Hopkins *

Burt Young Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (April 30, 1940 – October 8, 2023), known professionally as Burt Young, was an American actor. He played Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the ''Rocky'' film series, his performance in the f ...

as Coach Mack *

Matt Lattanzi Matthew Vincent Lattanzi (born February 1, 1959) is an American former actor and dancer. He is most commonly recognized as the ex-husband of singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, and for his acting in films such as ''My Tutor'' and the soap opera ...

as Jerome Colter * Yolanda Jilot as Amanda Lanski *

Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...

as Richard Anthony * Carey Scott as Ryes Wallstien * John E. Blazier as Car Driver/Food Patron

Critical reception

The movie received poor reviews from many outlets, primarily for what critics called a derivative plot. These included the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...

'',; the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', which compared it unfavorably to other sports films like ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...

''; and ''

The Indianapolis News The ''Indianapolis News'' was an evening newspaper published for 130 years, beginning December 7, 1869, and ending on October 1, 1999. The "Great Hoosier Daily," as it was known, at one time held the largest circulation in the state of Indiana. ...

'', which said it "makes diving as exciting as taped highlights of deliberations of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

's Full Committee on the Standardization of Dry Measurements and Weights." 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. ''

The Indianapolis Star } ''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, whe ...

'', while also noting cliched plot elements, was more positive, saying that the film "delivers what it promises--and delivers it well."

References

External links

* * 1990 films 1990 drama films American sports drama films Diving films Films set in Indiana Films shot in Indiana 1990s English-language films Films directed by Strathford Hamilton Films scored by Guy Moon 1990s American films English-language sports drama films {{1990s-US-drama-film-stub