The Swimmer Movie Information

Your Rating

Overall Rank: 7236

Average Rating: 2.7/4

# of Ratings: 13

Theatrical Release Date: 05/15/1968

Language: English

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: PG

Director: Frank Perry

Actors: Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard, Janice Rule, Tony Bickley, Marge Champion, Nancy Cushman

Plot: Neddy Merrill (Burt Lancaster) decides to "swim home," using the swimming pools of his neighbors. His journey is not what he expected it to be, and gradually reveals more and more to him as it does to the viewer. It's based on a short story of the same name by John Cheever. -- woody

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Rating of
2/4

Allison - wrote on 12/05/2007

I was expecting this to be much better. Maybe this was the inspiration for Woody Allen's Another Woman. However, I found it to be stupid that he was desperate to swim in pools across town. Overall, this is missable. It is sort of depressing and not in a redeeming way. It's just about a jerk who doesn't have it together. And he probably never will.

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woody
Producer

Rating of
4/4

Favorite not always "best"

woody - wrote on 01/27/2011

Often, works of art that are among one's favorites are not generally considered to be "the best." There are personal reasons movies resonate with viewers, and sometimes it's difficult to explain why. The Swimmer is a bit clunkily filmed, has a sixties soft-focus romantic interlude, and has some "humorous" bits that haven't dated well. But I've been drawn back to this movie repeatedly ever since I first watched it years ago. It's faithfully based on a short story by one of the greatest short story writers. It features Burt Lancaster in an uncharacteristically vulnerable role, and its construction of steadily downward stairsteps is, to me, captivating. I can never find anyone who wants to watch this movie with me, but I will keep watching it.

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