The Swimmer (film)

• Release Date: 1968
• Director(s): Frank Perry; Sydney Pollack
• Writer(s): Eleanor Perry
• Principal Actors and Roles: Burt Lancaster (Ned Merrill); Janet Landgard (Julie Hooper); Janice Rule (Shirley Abbott)
• Book / Story Film Based On: The Swimmer by John Cheever

The 1968 film The Swimmer was based on John Cheever’s short story of the same name. The story, which first appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 1964, tells the tale of Ned Merrill, a man who decides to "swim home" through the pools of friends in his wealthy suburban town. During his journey, he discovers that the world he thought he knew is actually a delusion—and that he, himself, is a failure. Cheever himself made an appearance in the film as John Estabrook, a party guest.

The Swimmer was produced by Sam Spiegel. Three of his previous films had brought home Academy Awards for best picture. The film also featured Marvin Hamlisch’s very first movie score. The movie was filmed almost entirely in Westport, Connecticut, hometown of director Frank Perry.

Although not the director’s first choice as a leading man, reviewers were generally impressed by Burt Lancaster’s work. Before starting production, Lancaster needed to complete months of training; although in excellent shape, he had never learned to swim.

During production, Lancaster often disagreed with the director. In midproduction, Perry was replaced by director Sydney Pollack, who completed the film. Much of Perry’s work was discarded. Actress Barbara Loden, who was originally cast as Shirley Abbott (Merrill’s one-time mistress), was cut from the film; actress Janice Rule replaced her. Joan Rivers, in her first serious movie role, played a minor character in the film; she described the experience as confusing and difficult.

To complete the film, Burt Lancaster spent $10,000 out of his own pocket. He later referred to The Swimmer as one of his favorite projects, and he felt that it represented his best work.

The Swimmer was, for its time, an experimental film; Lancaster referred to it as "Death of a Salesman in swimming trunks" (Elder, p. 191). Rather than simply telling a story, it uses symbolism, imagery, a stylized script, and dreamlike cinematography to present the disintegration of a man who, at the start, describes himself as a "legendary figure." The film begins in the warm sun, in midsummer, with the main character in the prime of his life. Over the course of the day, the weather grows wet and cold, leaves turn brown, the constellations change in the sky, and darkness falls. Each short episode within the story provides a further demonstration of Merrill’s descent from the peak of wealth, power, and health, although the details of his fall are not made explicit.

Plot

The story begins on a warm summer day. Ned Merrill, a well-preserved man of about fifty, finds himself standing in his swimming trunks at the Westerhazys’ pool, about eight miles from his home in suburban Connecticut. Chatting with his friends over drinks, he mentions his wife and daughters; the neighbors seem perplexed, but they are pleased to see him.

As an adventure—and as proof of his still-vital manhood—Merrill decides to begin a personal odyssey; he will engage in a swim home by plunging into swimming pools along the route to his own house. He refers to this route as a river named Lucinda, his wife’s name. When he has no map to consult, Merrill relies upon his imagination and memory to steer him.

Along his route, Merrill interacts with a number of characters with whom he has had various relationships and liaisons. As he starts out on his personal odyssey, he is confident and powerful—a middle-aged man who has maintained his athletic build and strength.

Merrill’s first encounter includes an interaction with young Julie, who, as a teen, babysat the older man’s children. Julie reveals that she had a schoolgirl crush on Merrill. The two spend some time together, but Julie is eventually made uncomfortable by Merrill’s advances and leaves him.

Merrill swims in pool after pool, visiting the Grahams and the Hammers, and he arrives at a party at the Bunkers. He has a drink, then moves on to the Levys’—but he can’t remember why no one is home. A storm leaves Merrill chilly; the leaves begin to turn to autumn colors.

As he continues on his way, Merrill finds empty pools and overgrown meadows where friends once lived. One home has a for-sale sign in front of it. He can’t remember the last time he has seen his friends, and he doesn’t quite know why his memory has failed him. At an empty pool, he encounters a boy whom he teaches to swim; at one point, he asks the boy to imagine a different reality in which the pool is full.

Cold and tired, Merrill must now cross the highway. He is assaulted by horns, loud voices, and objects thrown from cars. He makes his way to a public pool, which he swims across despite the crowds and chlorine.

At the next home, the Hallorans’, Merrill hears that he has endured misfortunes. He cannot seem to recall this history, but these misfortunes seem to involve his home and family. At the Sachs’s home, he learns that a friend has been very ill, but he can’t remember any of the details of the illness. At the Binswangers’ party, he is ignored by the staff—a sure sign that his social status has diminished, although, again, he has no memory of why.

Merrill’s last stop is at Shirley Adams’s home. Adams has been his mistress, but she rejects him and tells him to stop asking for money. Ned swims across Adams’s pool, but he is now so tired that he can barely hoist himself out. More signs of autumn appear: falling leaves and changing constellations in the sky.

Exhausted, Merrill walks through the twilight to his own home. There, he discovers that the lights are out and the doors are locked. The house is empty, and Merrill is cold and alone. At last, seeing reality as it is, Ned begins to cry.

Significance

The Swimmer was initially greeted with mixed reviews. While some found it difficult to understand, others—including Roger Ebert and Vincent Canby (of the New York Times)—were intrigued. The experimental nature of the film made it an interesting intellectual experience for some viewers. Over the years, the film has become a staple of Language Arts classes, because it clearly demonstrates the power of imagery, symbolism, and philosophy in literature.

The Swimmer has been recognized as a cult classic. It was released on DVD in 2003. In 2014, Grindhouse released a high definition version in Blu-ray, with extras including interviews with cast and production staff members. The Blu-ray version release also includes a five-part documentary, The Story of the Swimmer, which details the film’s production.

Bibliography

Candby, Vincent. "The Screen: Cross-County ‘Swimmer’: Burt Lancaster Stars in Cheever Story." New York Times 16 May 1968. The New York Times. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A06E1D9163AE134BC4E52DFB3668383679EDE>.

Cheever, John. The Swimmer. New York: Random House Value Publishing, 1994.

Ebert, Roger. "The Swimmer." RogerEbert.com 2 July 1968. Ebert Digital LLC. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

< http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-swimmer-1968>.

Elder, Robert Ed. The Best Film You’ve Never Seen. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2013.

Morgan, Robert. "The Swimmer: Burt Lancaster Journeys Upriver Into the Dark Heart of Suburbia." James River Film Journal. James River Film Journal, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. <https://jamesriverfilm.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/the-swimmer-burt-lancaster-journeys-upriver-into-the-dark-heart-of-suburbia/>.

TCMdB Archives. "The Swimmer." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/12842/The-Swimmer/>.