The Swimmer
Directed by Frank Perry7.6100%83%7.3
Neddy Merrill reappears at a friend's pool after having been away for most of the summer. As they talk, he notices that pools span the entire valley, and he decides to jog from pool to pool and swim across the whole valley. As he stops at each pool, his interactions tell his life story.
Where to Watch The Swimmer
- Mister ArnMay 22, 2025"The Swimmer" is a character study, and it's watchable because Lancaster makes it that way. There were a lot of scenes between pools where they tried to use music and camera movement to create interest, which didn't work. It's worth watching, but it's not Lancaster's best character study type film.
- cultfilmlikerMarch 25, 2025Believe it or not, this guy loves swimming. And fucking. But swimming more. Dude harassed a woman and assaulted another in the first 15 minutes. Wild! I guess being born in the 1910’s was wild too. Burt could have at least learned how to dive. How many people “own” the second property? Very confused by that The belly comment made me incredibly uneasy 🙃 I didn’t know there was a White Lotus in Connecticut!
- AdminMarch 27, 2025I’m still thinking about this months after seeing it, so it must be a classic. Everyone who lived in the second half of the 20th century knew a Neddy. I see the character as being part of that "Mad Men" Don Draper demographic born sometime between the "Greatest Generation," and the boomers. Lancaster does a remarkable job portraying a character that is probably supposed to be 10-15 years younger. Looking back almost 60 years now, I think it would've been worthy of an Oscar nomination.
The Swimmer Trivia
The Swimmer was released on August 9, 1968.
The Swimmer was directed by Frank Perry.
The Swimmer has a runtime of 1h 35m.
The Swimmer was produced by Frank Perry, Roger Lewis.
Neddy Merrill reappears at a friend's pool after having been away for most of the summer. As they talk, he notices that pools span the entire valley, and he decides to jog from pool to pool and swim across the whole valley. As he stops at each pool, his interactions tell his life story.
The key characters in The Swimmer are Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster), Julie Ann Hooper (Janet Landgard), Shirley Abbott (Janice Rule).
The Swimmer is rated Approved.
The Swimmer is a Drama film.
The Swimmer has an audience rating of 8.3 out of 10.