I have read most of John Cheever's short stories including "The Swimmer". Like all of his writing, it's beautifully crafted, and as always, a joy to read. While not surprised that Hollywood would want to film this story I avoided seeing it when it first came out forty odd years ago, mainly because I didn't believe it was the kind of story that would translate successfully to celluloid. After sitting down and watching it on DVD, I still think I am right. I am at a loss to understand why "The Swimmer" didn't succeed as a film. Maybe the problem lies with the screenplay. The writer has added two characters that are not in the original story. I can understand why the writer hoped to add a little 'meat' to an already 'thin' story with the addition of these characters. Unfortunately, all this does is slow the tempo of the film down to a snail's pace. The first distraction is when Ned Merrill meets a former babysitter of his. Ned persuades her to join him in his quest to "swim home" So for a time, we are treated to multiple scenes of Ned and the babysitter casually strolling through the woods. The other diversion is when Ned meets up with a small boy playing the recorder while hoping someone will come along and buy his homemade lemonade. This scene is even more maudlin than the one with the babysitter. Then again, the director I feel, was out of his depth when he set about filming this story. Technically, the film is a bit of a dog's dinner. Some scenes are plainly out of focus. The editing is too jerky. The continuity is appalling. Some shots are even repeated. The sight lines seem all wrong, somehow. As for the music by Marvin Hamlisch, it's pure Hollywood schmaltz. The whole premise underpinning "The Swimmer" is one of exigency, not torpor. Ned Merrill, in the book, has but one thing on his mind, and that's to accomplish what he set out to do as quickly as he can which is why Neddy eschews engaging in idle chatter with the folks he encounters poolside to the point of appearing rude. The saving grace in this film is the performance by Burt Lancaster as Ned Merrill. Like in the story, Burt Lancaster portrays Ned Merrill as a man who radiates confidence while at the same time is plainly in self-denial. Sadly, for this viewer, Frank Perry's version of "The Swimmer" has ended up dead in the water.
Review of The Swimmer
