Mandy Patinkin Calls Tom Cruise’s DIGGER “One of the Greatest Films I Have Ever Seen” Despite Brutal Reviews
Mandy Patinkin has seen Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger, and he thinks critics have completely missed the mark. The Homeland star is throwing his full support behind director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s divisive ecological disaster movie, calling it an instant classic and urging audiences to see it for themselves.
After catching Digger in theaters, Patinkin shared an enthusiastic video message praising the film as “one of the greatest pieces of film I have ever seen in my entire life.”
He continued: “This is an incredible piece of work. It puts the heart and soul back into the cinema. Everything we all love about cinema, this is it. Please, please, please, run! Don’t walk, run, and see this film.”
That's some serious praise, especially considering how badly Digger has been received by critics and audiences.
The movie opened to just $8 million domestically and $20 million worldwide, earning a 52% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a C+ CinemaScore. The film could potentially lose around $150 million.
But Patinkin isn't buying the negative reception. In a lengthy written message, the actor went after critics who dismissed the movie and made it clear he considers Digger something special.
“This movie being slammed by reviewers is beyond comprehension. Anyone who is dragging this piece through the mud should get a brain scan or see it again as they must not have been paying attention.
“This is one of the most daring, original, provocative pieces of art I’ve seen and bravo to every person that laid a hand on it. I’d have given my right arm to be an extra in this movie (I’m right-handed).”
Patinkin also believes the film represents something increasingly rare in Hollywood, a filmmaker willing to take creative risks rather than simply chase mass appeal.
“This craft, like many other things nowadays, feels in peril. The systems at play encourage mass appeal above all else. Digger is a battle cry for art, for waking up, for demanding an actual attention span of your audience and for the miracle of having a point of view.”
Patinkin isn't the only Hollywood star defending the film. Anne Hathaway gave Digger a five-star review on Letterboxd, describing it as “It’s smart and trippy and aggressive and funny and ambitious.”
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, a close friend of Iñárritu, has also been defending the movie on social media.
Cruise himself has remained positive about the project despite its disappointing opening weekend. Following the film's release, he shared a message on Instagram expressing his appreciation for everyone involved.
“I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”
In Digger, Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an aging oil magnate whose drilling operations trigger an ecological disaster. The film features an impressive ensemble cast that includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Teddy Hawley, Robert John Burke, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman, and Sophie Wilde.
It's interesting to see such a massive divide between the film's critical reception and the passionate support it's receiving from some major Hollywood talent.
While Digger clearly hasn't connected with mainstream audiences, Patinkin and its other supporters seem convinced that people are overlooking something extraordinary. I enjoyed it myself!
Whether Digger eventually finds a larger audience or remains one of Cruise's biggest box office disappointments, it's certainly getting people talking.
Have you seen Digger yet? What did you think?