Swimmers

I saw this just-about-perfect film when it screened at the Maryland Film Festival in May, 2005. Set in a small town, it tells the story of a Chesapeake Bay waterman's family as they pass through a crisis. The movie is superbly cast, with both famous (Cherry Jones) and unknown actors giving fine, nuanced performances. The Chesapeake Bay currently suffers significant ecological degradation from farm runoff, industrial pollution, and other factors. This has severely impacted crab, oyster, and fish populations and hence the livelihood of traditional Bay water-men. It is against this backdrop of economic struggle that the movie's story is told. Already poor and unable to afford health insurance, the family is pushed past the breaking point when their young daughter suffers a swimming injury and needs surgery.

This movie plays like a country song from the 70's. They didn't have a dog, but I'm sure it either ran off or died before filming started. Everything bad happens, constantly. This movie feels like it was created at a funeral home. The movie offer no hope. Even the ending feels uncomfortable. This movie is an onslaught of negative emotion. The only good thing that happens in the whole movie is the friendship forged between the little girl and the maniac. Then the maniac decides to dye the little girls hair black without the parents permission. Who does that?

The movie starts at the bottom of a hill and goes down from there. Just when you think things have to get better, they get worse. This movie is a perpetual abuse of drama. This movie is a major downer! If you are feeling sad, please don't rent this movie. If you really enjoy other peoples misery, this is the movie for you! I sat through this movie because I rented it from Netflix. What a waste of a perfect summer afternoon.

Will (Robert Knott) enters a shop and doesn't have enough for his beer, so he takes it out of a jar on the counter that is there to pay for his daughter Emma's (Tara Devon Gallagher) ear operation. This is just after he screamed at his wife Julia (Cherry Jones) for putting the jars out in the first place. Next we see him getting some work, and the first place he goes is to get more beer. This time, he buys one of those plastic roses to give Julia, expecting a sexual payoff.

This is the kind of guy Will is. He is out of work leaving Julia to figure out how to pay the bills and get her daughter an operation while he gets drunk. We all know the type.

This is an interesting picture of working class families trying to make it in the face of adversity. There are and will be many more like this as we get through our current economic crisis. People start coming apart at the seams, while others find solace and strength where they can.

Emma turns to Merrill (Sarah Paulson), who has problems of her own from a childhood incident when she was Emma's age. Paulson is fantastic, and really makes this movie.

Jones is equally brilliant as she tries to hold everything together with the drinking, and philandering, and lack of money.

There isn't a pretty solution, and there is no FX, violence, or a lot of nudity to distract you. You just have to sit back and take in the problems of everyday people and hope for the best.

Swimmers is a lovely, poetic movie about a young girl who needs an operation and the impact of the crisis on her family which does not have health insurance. The script touches on many universal themes: family, friendship, depleted fishing grounds, health care, problem drinking. The performances are wonderful, especially Cherry Jones, Robert Knott, and Tara Devon Gallagher. I saw Swimmers at the Seattle International Film Festival and I strongly recommend it. It just won the Portugese film festival so I am hopeful it will get a distributor as it deserves to be seen by a wide audience. Swimmers is reminiscent of Tender Mercies and Robert Knott's performance reminds me of Robert Duvall's in Tender Mercies--a huge compliment as Tender Mercies is one of my favorite movies. See Swimmers if you get the chance.

Sadler's "Swimmers" portrays a waterman's family in crisis as a result of his daughter's need for ear surgery. The film provides a glimpse into the Tyler family's upheaval as they search for a financial solution for the necessary surgery. The water scenes were beautifully constructed and gave the viewer a look at the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay area. The sub-plots intricately weave together to bring about the conclusion to this thoroughly enjoyable and brilliant piece of work. I loved the film and found each character well cast. Most importantly, it provides real insight into the plight of the watermen and their diminishing way of life. Highly recommended! "Swimmers" is a keeper!"