Swimfan (2002)

A high school senior with a promising swimming career has a one-night stand with consequences.

Director:

John Polson

Writers:

Charles F. Bohl, Phillip Schneider

Stars:

Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, Shiri Appleby

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Bradford	...	Ben Cronin
Erika Christensen	...	Madison Bell
Shiri Appleby	...	Amy Miller
Kate Burton	...	Carla Cronin
Clayne Crawford	...	Josh
Jason Ritter	...	Randy
Kia Goodwin	...	Rene (as Kia Joy Goodwin)
Dan Hedaya	...	Coach Simkins
Michael Higgins	...	Mr. Tillman
Nick Sandow	...	Detective John Zabel
Pamela Isaacs	...	Mrs. Egan
James DeBello	...	Christopher Dante (as James Debello)
Phyllis Somerville	...	Aunt Gretchen Christopher
Tom Cappadona	...	Janitor
Malcolm Barrett	...	Jock

Storyline

New Jersey high school senior Ben Cronin is a former juvenile delinquent, whose past criminal behavior was fueled by and for drug use. He credits the support of his now long time girlfriend Amy Miller and getting into competitive swimming as the primary reasons for turning his life around, which includes working part-time at the hospital where his single mother works. He has become the star swimmer of his high school team, so much so that scouts from Stanford University are coming in a week's time to watch Ben swim. Ben has a new swim fan in Madison Bell, a recent transfer student to Ben's high school. Despite Ben making it clear that he is in a committed relationship, Madison seduces him, the seduction to which he succumbs. They agree afterward that their encounter was a one-time only event, but Ben slowly comes to the realization that despite Madison's assertions to the contrary, she has more in mind with him. He feels her constant unspoken threats to expose their tryst and ...

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Plot Keywords:

high school | hospital | swimming | new jersey | stalker | 

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Taglines:

His biggest fan just became his worst nightmare.

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Genres:

Thriller | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content, disturbing images and language

Details

Official Sites:

West [Russia]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Swimf@n

Filming Locations:

Bayonne High School - Avenue A & 28th Street, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$44,246 (South Africa) (11 April 2003)

Gross:

$44,246 (South Africa) (11 April 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, GreeneStreet Films, Cobalt Media Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scenes inside Madison's house are the only ones where a light blue tint was not added to the screen.

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Goofs

When Ben is driving he pulls up to a traffic light next to a police car and looks at the cop. The light turns green and they both go, but in the shot of both cars pulling away the light is flashing yellow.

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Quotes

Madison: Ben... Tell me you love me. You don't have to mean it, but just say it.
Ben: [pause] I love you.

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Connections

References Thunderball (1965)

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Soundtracks

"Too Much Too Soon"
Written by Ben Morton
Performed by Llama
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Femme Fatale With Superhuman Powers

We've seen this idea before, in other films like "Fatal Attraction" (1987) and "The Crush" (1993). A woman obsesses about a man, and won't let go. Given the high school age of the main characters in "Swimfan", and given background music that is mostly sophomoric, the film is clearly targeted at people under the age of twenty-five.

Ben Cronin (Jesse Bradford) is annoyingly smug. He's your prototype high school pop jock. He drives around in a macho-looking pickup truck. Madison Bell (lovely Erika Christensen) gets a crush on Ben and, even knowing he already has a girlfriend, stalks him relentlessly; she's his femme fatale. Conveniently unstable and manipulative, Madison makes trouble for Ben with one plot contrivance after another.

The script has a setup that is too long. And the second half of the script has action that is wildly improbable. Madison just seems to appear from out of nowhere in the most unlikely places, and at just the right time. Her efforts are too easy, especially as they relate to hospital security and police procedures. It's as if she has superhuman powers, not an effect you want to impart as a storyteller, unless your story fits in the sci-fi or fantasy genre, which this film does not.

If the script is weak, the acting is generally pretty good, with reasonably effective performances from Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, and James DeBello as Dante. The film's color cinematography is fine. And I also liked the editing, with jump cuts that neatly corresponded with Madison's state of mind.

"Swimfan" is not a bad movie. But its premise is unoriginal, and the plot structure is faulty. A script rewrite or two might have rendered a better cinematic outcome. However, other elements of the film are fine. And for the right audience, this film does have some entertainment value, at least for a one-time viewing.