Forgotten Movies: THE SWIMMER
I have talked about this movie before in some context but here it comes again.
In 1968, Frank Perry took a great John Cheever story and made a terrific film. It is the story of a man, living in suburban Connecticut, who comes up with the idea he can swim from pool to pool in his neighborhood, finally arriving home. The element of time in this movie makes it especially interesting. The time of year, the state of the swimmer, the time of life, changes that occur as he makes his swim. Only Burt Lancaster could look so fetching in his late fifties here. An amazing little film. One of my favorite small films for sure.
8 comments:
I'll admit, Patti, I've not seen this one. But I have heard about it, and I'm glad you reminded me of it.
I love the John Cheever short story and I love this film!
We saw this one when it first came out in 1968 - we went to the movies every weekend then - but appreciated it more when I saw it again years later. I never read the Cheever story until 2012. Perry did a really good job adapting it.
Definitely did not even know about this one
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie when I first saw THE SWIMMER and I was relatively young. Definitely in my 20s. There's something slightly surreal about the whole thing. It also has a metaphysical quality to it that appeals to me. My favorite scene will always be the one where he swims in the empty pool with the boy teaching him how to swim in imaginary water.
That would seem to be true in the bio I read. A very complex and difficult man. It is very surreal as the seasons change during his swim.
Great movie and great, great short story.
I feel like pulling out the collection and reading it right now. And then the one about the radio.
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