Click to read the article
The Swimmer (1968)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:18
Fresh:18
Rotten:0
Average Rating:7.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Burt Lancaster stars in this adaptation of John Cheever's dreamlike short story about one man's highly unusual attempt to find meaning in his life. On the morning after a booze-filled night, Ned... Burt Lancaster stars in this adaptation of John Cheever's dreamlike short story about one man's highly unusual attempt to find meaning in his life. On the morning after a booze-filled night, Ned Merrill wakes up in a haze, confronted by the sterility of his isolated, wealthy suburban existence. So he decides to traverse this upper-class world swimming pool by swimming pool: he goes to each neighbor's house, swims through the chlorinated waters of the requisite backyard pool, and chats with the owner. Among the people he sees are his longtime mistress, a sexy babysitter and a couple of politically-liberal (or so they believe) nudists. This interesting, overlooked film, is a visually captivating look at the essential emptiness of the "American Dream." [More]
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard, Janice Rule, Tony Bickley
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard, Janice Rule, Tony Bickley, Marge Champion, Kim Hunter, Rose Gregorio, Charles Drake
Director: Frank Perry
Director: Frank Perry
Screenwriter: Eleanor Perry
Producer: Frank Perry, Roger Lewis
Composer: Marvin Hamlisch
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Swimmer
A resounding commercial flop, this has since been recognized as a signature 60s film, prescient in its view of American self-deception.
Ned Merrill is a tragic hero for the '60s, and it's one of Lancaster's most searing performances.
As do few movies, The Swimmer stays in the memory like an echo that never quite disappears.
A mannerist, moody and wonderfully strange allegory of the squandered American Dream. Like a plunge into the deep end, it stings and refreshes.
Latest News for The Swimmer
July 07, 2006:
Wassup, Larry Clark? Director Talks Teens and Breaking Bones
Photographer and director Larry Clark chatted with Rotten Tomatoes staffer Michael Campos-Quinn about his new film, "Wassup Rockers," which opens in limited release... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| 19% 19% | Transformers: Revenge … |
| 55% 55% | Orphan |
| 43% 43% | The Proposal |
| 26% 26% | Land of the Lost |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 88% 88% | Ballast |
| 67% 67% | The Merry Gentleman |
| 56% 56% | Enlighten Up! |
| 13% 13% | Spread |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Swimmer at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

Moviefone brings us 9 failed attempts at biographical films.

TIME reminisces on the 10 most iconic moments from the films of Cameron Crowe.

BuzzSugar wants to know which movies coming out this month you're most looking forward to.

The AV Club takes a look back at Hedwig and the Angry Inch.



Top Critic



