The Swimmer (1968)

A man spends a summer day swimming as many pools as he can all over a quiet suburban town.

Directors:

Frank Perry, Sydney Pollack (uncredited)

Writers:

Eleanor Perry (screenplay), John Cheever (story)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard, Janice Rule

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Ned Merrill
Janet Landgard	...	Julie Hooper
Janice Rule	...	Shirley Abbott
Tony Bickley	...	Donald Westerhazy
Marge Champion	...	Peggy Forsburgh
Nancy Cushman	...	Mrs. Halloran
Bill Fiore	...	Howie Hunsacker
David Garfield	...	Ticket Seller (as John Garfield Jr.)
Kim Hunter	...	Betty Graham
Rose Gregorio	...	Sylvia Finney
Charles Drake	...	Howard Graham
Bernie Hamilton	...	Chauffeur
House Jameson	...	Mr. Halloran
Jimmy Joyce	...	Jack Finney
Michael Kearney	...	Kevin Gilmartin

Storyline

Neddy Merrill has been away for most of the Summer. He reappears at a friend's pool. As they talk, someone notices that there are pools spanning the entire valley. He decided to jog from pool to pool to swim across the whole valley. As he stops in each pool his interactions tell his life story.

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Plot Keywords:

swimming | swimming pool | neighborhood | memory loss | emotional breakdown | 

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Taglines:

The famed John Cheever short story appeared in the New Yorker and people talked. Now there will be talk again. When you sense this man's vibrations and share his colossal hang-up . . . will you see someone you know, or love? When you feel the body-blow power of his broken dreams, will it reach you deep inside, where it hurts? When you talk about "The Swimmer" will you talk about yourself?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

M/PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The John Cheever source short story was originally conceived as being a full length novel.

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Goofs

When Ned is crossing the highway, bystanders can be seen on an on ramp.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Donald Westerhazy: Where have you been keeping yourself?
Ned Merrill: Oh, here and there. Here and there.

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Connections

Referenced in Ulysse & Mona (2018)

User Reviews

A strong movie, rarely seen, with a telescoping metaphor

I saw this movie in 1968 when it came out, and have never been able to forget it. I never found anyone who had ever heard of it--a shame. It's my favorite Burt Lancaster performance: I can't imagine anyone else doing the role justice.

When Neddy is ready to leave the garden cocktail party he has been invited to, he looks out across the valley and sees the row of pools, all belonging to his neighbors. He's obviously a poet, and sees the chain of pools as a river (Metaphor). He decides to swim back home. Little does he, or we, know at this point what going home means! He goes from house to house, he greets his friends and jumps into their pools. We become a little worried as things seem to get a little out of hand--a little more so at each house. It's not long before we realize that this "river" is (Meta-Metaphor!) a trip through time, through his life--and that he has made one fine mess of it. The ending is amazing, and almost unbearable.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1968 (Finland)

Also Known As:

The Swimmer

Filming Locations:

Westport, Connecticut, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Horizon Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1