The Swimmer (1968 film)
| The Swimmer | |
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theatrical poster
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| Directed by |
Frank Perry Sydney Pollack (uncredited - scenes with Janice Rule) |
| Produced by |
Frank Perry Roger Lewis Sam Spiegel (uncredited) |
| Written by | Eleanor Perry |
| Based on |
The Swimmer (short story) in The New Yorker (1964) by John Cheever |
| Starring | Burt Lancaster |
| Music by | Marvin Hamlisch |
| Cinematography | David L. Quaid |
| Edited by | Sidney Katz Carl Lerner Pat Somerset |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
Columbia Pictures Grindhouse Releasing (Blu-ray/DVD) |
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Release date
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Running time
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95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| The Swimmer | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Marvin Hamlisch | |
| Released | March 2006 |
| Label | Film Score Monthly |
The Swimmer is a 1968 Technicolor American drama starring Burt Lancaster with Janet Landgard and Janice Rule in featured roles. The film was written and directed by Academy Award-nominated husband and wife team of Eleanor Perry (screenplay adaptation) and Frank Perry (director). The story is based on the 1964 short story "The Swimmer" by John Cheever, which appeared in the July 18, 1964 issue of The New Yorker.
On a sunny day in an affluent suburb in Connecticut, a fit and tanned middle-aged man in a bathing suit, Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster), drops by a pool party being held by old friends, the Westerhazys. They offer him a cocktail while nursing hangovers from the night before. As they share stories, Ned realizes that there is a series of swimming pools that form a "river" to his house, making it possible for him to "swim" his way home. Ned dives into the pool, emerging at the other end and beginning his journey. Ned's behavior perplexes his friends, who know things about his recent past he seems to have forgotten.
As Ned travels he encounters other neighbors. He meets 20-year-old Julie (Janet Landgard), who used to babysit his daughter, and reveals his idea to her; she joins him. Together, they have several experiences, including crashing another pool party and sipping champagne. While chatting in the forest, Julie reveals that she had a schoolgirl crush on Ned, who begins talking about how he will protect her, making plans for the two of them. Discomfited, Julie runs away.
The neighborhood is full of judgmental, well-heeled people intent on one-upsmanship, and Ned continues to be confused by hints that his life might not be as he believes it.
Ned meets a wealthy older couple, unbothered by his eccentric behavior but also unimpressed by his posturing, and a lonely young boy with whom Ned spends a short time. He fails to make any real connection with the people he meets, being obsessed with his journey, and becoming increasingly out of touch with reality.
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Wikipedia