Swimmers

We recently saw "Swimmers" at the Waterfront Film Festival. It's a lovely take on the dysfunction that roils beneath the surface of many (if not all) families in one form or another. The story centers on a five-person family as told through the eyes of its youngest member, an 11 year-old girl. The characters and motivations of the mother, father, daughter and one of her brothers are very well-developed, as is that of an unrelated woman that comes to their small Maryland coastal town with some baggage of her own. The story plays beautifully, its underlying tensions coming to a head near the end of the film. Thought-provoking -- my husband and I were talking about it hours after we'd seen it. We hope this film gets picked up and distributed!

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.

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!"

Despite the best efforts of Hoolywood...you occasionally still see a compelling drama, and this is one. Swimmers reveals some very universal themes, familiar to most of us who have ever lost a job, had a sick child or difficult relationships (surely this is nearly everyone!) The small town setting is wonderful and the economic plight of the oysterman is painful to watch...the disappearing way of life that is so common in many rural areas.

I was stunned by the actors performances and the beauty of the setting juxtaposed with the pain in their lives. REally, a great story, with a lot to say about us.

Oh yeah....Cherry Jones (2005 Tony Award Winner!!!) was awesome in this film.....but she was NOT the best performance! This one is worth your time and effort.

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.