"Swimming Upstream", a satisfying Australian movie, was shown on cable recently. Directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a biography by Anthony Fingleton, the film has a lot to admire, in that even if it deals with sports, in this case swimming, but is basically a family drama.
Harold Fingleton, the brutish head of the family, is a longshoreman struggling to maintain his wife and five children in Brisbane, in the mid 1950s. Harold has a drinking problem. When he gets drunk, he takes it on his wife, or his children. Dora, the wife, gets her share of the abuse, mainly because she sees in her son Tony a kind soul who she wants to succeed. Dora, who attempted to take her own life, is rescued by the children. That in turn, makes Harold be meaner toward Tony, who in his mind might be showing signs of homosexuality. As it is, Harold was abused by his own mother's clients.
When Harold watches the boys at the local pool, he is amazed by the talent he sees in John, and in Tony. He embarks in a quest to make both boys successful champions, but he prefers John to be the one with all the honors; after all, he couldn't care less what happens to Tony. Ironically, Tony is the one that is successful. When having the option to choose between going to the Olympics, or taking a full scholarship at Harvard, Tony chooses the latter.
It's sad to see how Harold's own drinking affected the family. In spite of what one would have expected, all the children turned out good, especially Tony. Harold, who eventually sobered up, was never warm toward a son that really loved him and try to win all the contests he entered to gain his father's love.
Russell Mulcahy delivered a great film that juxtaposes the successes of the Fingletons with the miserable life at home. Geoffrey Rush got one of the best roles of his career. He does incredible work in portraying the tormented Harold and making the monster that he was, totally dominated by alcohol and hatred. Of course, he had been scarred for life at an early age, and took it on the innocent people that were most vulnerable, his family.
Judy Davis is also excellent as Dora. Although she doesn't have as much screen time as Mr. Rush, Ms. Davis is always an interesting actress to watch. Jesse Spencer is fine as Tony as a grown man and Tim Draxl also excels as John. Kain O'Keefe impressed us as the bully Harold Jr. at the beginning of the film.
An inspirational film made better by Russell Mulcahy.
Harold Fingleton, the brutish head of the family, is a longshoreman struggling to maintain his wife and five children in Brisbane, in the mid 1950s. Harold has a drinking problem. When he gets drunk, he takes it on his wife, or his children. Dora, the wife, gets her share of the abuse, mainly because she sees in her son Tony a kind soul who she wants to succeed. Dora, who attempted to take her own life, is rescued by the children. That in turn, makes Harold be meaner toward Tony, who in his mind might be showing signs of homosexuality. As it is, Harold was abused by his own mother's clients.
When Harold watches the boys at the local pool, he is amazed by the talent he sees in John, and in Tony. He embarks in a quest to make both boys successful champions, but he prefers John to be the one with all the honors; after all, he couldn't care less what happens to Tony. Ironically, Tony is the one that is successful. When having the option to choose between going to the Olympics, or taking a full scholarship at Harvard, Tony chooses the latter.
It's sad to see how Harold's own drinking affected the family. In spite of what one would have expected, all the children turned out good, especially Tony. Harold, who eventually sobered up, was never warm toward a son that really loved him and try to win all the contests he entered to gain his father's love.
Russell Mulcahy delivered a great film that juxtaposes the successes of the Fingletons with the miserable life at home. Geoffrey Rush got one of the best roles of his career. He does incredible work in portraying the tormented Harold and making the monster that he was, totally dominated by alcohol and hatred. Of course, he had been scarred for life at an early age, and took it on the innocent people that were most vulnerable, his family.
Judy Davis is also excellent as Dora. Although she doesn't have as much screen time as Mr. Rush, Ms. Davis is always an interesting actress to watch. Jesse Spencer is fine as Tony as a grown man and Tim Draxl also excels as John. Kain O'Keefe impressed us as the bully Harold Jr. at the beginning of the film.
An inspirational film made better by Russell Mulcahy.