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09/23/06
Swimming Upstream (2005)
61 %
Reviews Counted: 38 Fresh: 23 Rotten:15 Average Rating: 5.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Synopsis: SWIMMING UPSTREAM is an inspiring drama that tells the true story of Australian swimmer Tony Fingleton (Jess Spencer), who rose above his deeply troubled home life in order to become a national champion in 1950s Brisbane. Consistently tormented by his bullying older brother and his... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Tim Draxyl, Jesse Spencer, Ann Robinson
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Screenwriter: Anthony Fingleton
Producer: Howard L. Baldwin, Karen Baldwin, Paul Pompian
Composer: Reinhold Heil
Screenwriter: Anthony Fingleton
Producer: Howard L. Baldwin, Karen Baldwin, Paul Pompian
Composer: Reinhold Heil
Reviews
Top Critic Top Critic
A moving drama that’s ultimately worth seeing for the performances of Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis, even if you feel that you haven’t quite heard the full story.
06/11/05
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06/10/05
It'll not be remembered for the ages, but it succeeds in avoiding biopic pitfalls that have succumbed some of the best, and that's good enough to make it worth a look.
05/30/05
The glimpses we get of this profoundly dysfunctional and violence ridden family are just that, as if viewed vaguely from a nosy neighbor's window.
03/26/07
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09/26/05
Top Critic
Leave it to Mulcahy to screw everything up with an overwrought, MTV-ready visual style that obscures any dramatic heft.
02/27/05
...sticks closely to a formula that no longer holds many surprises, and leads to a message that isn't particularly novel or satisfying.
02/23/05
In addition to the pure drama of this story, it's the performances that make the film so compelling.
02/16/05
Basically, this is a fairly run-of-the-mill story of family dysfunction with a sports twist.
02/10/05
The story isn't unusual or compelling enough to make a lasting impression.
02/10/05
Powerhouse Australian drama...a two-hour dip into the deep end of family life.
02/10/05
The audience develops a growing disconnect between the two stories of Tony the swimmer and Tony the son, lessening the impact of the overall film.
02/08/05
Good as Rush and Davis are as combative working-class parents Harold and Dora, their story line overpowers the drippy dramatics of their teen athlete son. It unwittingly feels like two separate movies.
02/05/05
Top Critic
Anchored by a rare emotional perspicacity and true, non-fussy performances...
02/04/05
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