Burt Lancaster, by 1968 a paragon of charm and confidence and three-time Oscar nominee, delivers a stunning performance as a man slowly revealing himself to be slipping over the edge of sanity, one swimming pool at a time.

Based on the short story by John Cheever, Lancaster stars as advertising executive Ned Merrill, who seems to have it all – at least on the surface. Emerging from a swimming pool belonging to some longtime friends, Merrill figures that by using the pools lining the backyards of his wealthy friends and neighbors, he could essentially swim back to his own home. As he journeys from pool to pool, encounter to encounter, we learn more about Merrill and his state of mind, increasingly refracted by a swirling storm beneath the surface.

“What we really have here, then, is a sophisticated retelling of the oldest literary form of all: the epic. A hero sets off on a journey. He has many strange adventures along the way, during which he learns the tragic nature of life. At last he arrives at his goal, older and wiser and with many a tale to tell. The journey Cheever’s swimmer makes has been made before in other times and lands by Ulysses, Don Quixote, Huckleberry Finn and Augie March.”  ~ Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Screening 3/22 + 4/1

Please visit our accessibility page for more information. Beyond the description, trailer and quoted reviews on our website, other sources of information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media and IMDb. We encourage you to research our films at your own informational interest level via the internet.