A middle-aged man emerges from a sunlit pool during a small party. Shielding his eyes, he notices that from his present location to his own house, a string of inground pools lights his way. He decides, on the spur of the moment, to swim all the way home.
Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster) thinks the swims will be invigorating and give him a real sense of purpose. He doesn’t anticipate running into a litany of problems at each pool, each greater than the one that preceded it. He’s just an average guy trying to get home to his
loving wife and doting daughters. Instead, Ned experiences at true wakening, one that’s not fully realized by even the audience until the final, chilling scene.
This may seem like a pretty slow-moving plot, but the unerring charm of a superfit Lancaster and fantastic support work from Janice Rule make this adaptation of a John Cheever short story a real winner. It’s not a movie that springs to mind when one thinks of great Lancaster movies or great movies from the 1960s. So what makes it so wonderful? The passion, determination, and perseverence etched on Lancaster’s face gradually dissolves into unease, fatigue, and pain as Ned slowly realizes what’s happened to him in his life. This is one film that shows Lancaster to be a true actor, not some golden boy with classic movie-star looks. He manages to draw you in; you instantly, fervently wish for him to succeed in his quest, but as memories come rushing back with each encounter he has, you become as unsure about his prospects as he is.
This superb film was probably a little ahead of its time regarding the self-examination of the modern American man; it’s quite the indcitment, too, of the American dream itself.
***1/2
