Synopsis
A elderly man and his estranged son search for treasure and try to repair their relationship in this bittersweet comedy. Harry Agensky (Kirk Douglas) is a one-time welterweight boxing champion who lives in Canada with his son Moses (Kurt Fuller). Harry's other son, Lance (Dan Aykroyd), feels that his father never really cared about his dreams and ambitions, and now Lance has little affection for his Dad. However, Lance's relationship with his teenage son Michael (Corbin Allred) is not faring much better. Lonely since the death of his wife and infirm due to a stroke, Harry wants to retire to a ranch in Northern Canada, but he can't afford the property. Lance invites Harry along for a skiing trip with Michael; Harry agrees, but at the last minute he talks them into going to Nevada instead. Harry claims he threw a fight years ago and was paid off in a cache of diamonds that he hid somewhere in Vegas; if he can find the gems, he'll be able to buy the ranch. Lance is dubious, but he gives in to Harry's determination and the three head for Nevada, hoping to find both the diamonds and some common ground. Diamonds was Kirk Douglas's first film after a life-threatening stroke in 1997; Lauren Bacall appears in a small role as a madam in a Nevada brothel, marking her first appearance onscreen with Douglas since Young Man with a Horn in 1950.
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Movie News
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Kirk Douglas shines at his 'Diamonds' premiere
LOS ANGELES -- Nothing shimmered at the Dec. 5 premiere for "Diamonds" in Westwood more than the grace of star Kirk Douglas, who returns to the screen for the first time since his stroke in 1996.
The actor, who turns 83 today, plays a former boxer who takes his son (Dan Aykroyd) and grandson (Corbin Allred) on a road trip to recover 13 diamonds he stole and hid in Reno. The road trip includes an encounter at a house of ill repute overseen by Lauren Bacall, but ultimately becomes a bonding experience for the three generations.
For Douglas, who arrived with wife Anne, it was a perfect fit.
"It's a powerful role, but it's not a difficult role," Douglas said, his speech still affected by the stroke. "Because I play a man recovering from a stroke, and that's something I know something about. But I love the picture because it has so much humor and so much humanity, so I