Swimming Upstream

Featuring fine performances by Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis, this little-known Australian drama (it received only a brief, limited release in the U.S.) tells the autobiographical story of Australian swimming champion Tony Fingleton, a tale tinged with tenacity, family dysfunction, and brotherly love. Fingleton (played by Jesse Spencer) has all the makings of an Olympic gold-medal winner, but before he can fulfill his potential, he must cope with the turbulent mood-swings of his alcoholic father (superbly played by Rush), whose peculiar training methods include putting Tony in heated competition against his own brother, resulting in escalating tensions and a marital ordeal for Tony's strong-willed and relatively stable mother (played by Davis, who is a fine match for Rush's volatile performance). Beginning in the mid-1950s and spanning several years of intense (albeit somewhat repetitive) swimming competitions, the film employs some interesting visual tricks (director Russell Mulcahy has always enjoyed flashy effects whenever possible) as it spins a cautionary tale about the destructive effects of alcoholism and the emotional terrorism of fathers who compensate for some personal shortcoming by unleashing their wrath on their children. Despite the solid acting, however, the film never quite rises above TV-movie quality. Optional. (J. Shannon)