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What's After the Movie?
Biographical drama

Swimming Upstream (2005): Ratings & Plot

Swimming Upstream (2005) movie poster

Swimming Upstream is a 2005 biographical drama directed by Russell Mulcahy. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes. Critics gave it 58 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.0/10.

IMDb rating
7.0/10
Metascore
58
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Swimming Upstream (2005) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 54m (114 min)
Director
Russell Mulcahy
Genres
Biography , Drama , Sport
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Swimming Upstream About?

The premise of Swimming Upstream without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

This Australian biographical film follows Tony Fingleton, who struggles to establish his identity within a large and challenging family, seeking his father’s approval. Driven to pursue competitive swimming, Tony’s journey is one of confronting personal insecurities and uncovering inner resilience. Through dedication and perseverance, he strives to earn his father's respect and ultimately finds a path to self-discovery.

Swimming Upstream Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • beefcake
  • bare chested male
  • cricket the sport
  • man wears a swimsuit
  • man wrapped in a towel
  • watching tv
  • swimming sport
  • tokyo 1964 summer olympics
  • swimming
  • training
  • harbor
  • abuse
+38 more
  • swimmer
  • sissy
  • olympic games
  • champion
  • bully
  • australia
  • rock 'n' roll
  • reference to william shakespeare
  • harvard university
  • melbourne australia
  • sleeping pills
  • abusive father
  • movie camera
  • favoritism
  • photographer
  • mother daughter relationship
  • police officer
  • press
  • newspaper clipping
  • father daughter relationship
  • camera
  • anguish
  • mounted police
  • little girl
  • brawl
  • championship
  • binoculars
  • airport
  • autograph
  • little boy
  • spectator
  • competition
  • airliner
  • scolding
  • fistfight
  • bloody nose
  • hugging
  • harvard
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Crew

The Director of Swimming Upstream

Directed by Russell Mulcahy.

From the director

More from Russell Mulcahy

More films directed by Russell Mulcahy, best-rated first: In Like Flynn, Teen Wolf: The Movie, The Shadow and Ricochet.

Full filmography
Ratings

Swimming Upstream Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Swimming Upstream 58 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.0/10.

Plot

Swimming Upstream Plot Summary

What happens in Swimming Upstream from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The cinematic narrative unfolds over a decade-long journey, tracing the life of Anthony Fingleton, starting from his childhood in Brisbane, Australia, during the mid-1950s, all the way to the significant day of the men’s 100m backstroke final at the 1964 Summer Olympics. As the second of five children in a working-class family led by his parents, Harold and Dora Fingleton, Tony grew up in a home plagued by dysfunction. The emotional scars left on Harold from his childhood, marked by the degradation of his mother as a prostitute, deeply impacted the familial dynamics. This trauma manifested itself in the form of physical and emotional abuse directed towards Dora and their children, with Tony suffering the most, especially given Harold’s tendency to favor those who excelled in sports.

Full summary

The whole story of Swimming Upstream, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Swimming Upstream Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Swimming Upstream.

Swimming Upstream (2003) Official Trailer - Geoffrey Rush, Jesse Spencer Movie HD
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Swimming Upstream?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
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  3. Question 3: not answered
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  10. Question 10: not answered

In which year was 'Swimming Upstream' released?

Seen Swimming Upstream?

FAQ

Swimming Upstream FAQ: Runtime, Release Date & Director

Runtime, release date, director, ratings and post-credit scenes of Swimming Upstream, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Swimming Upstream?

Swimming Upstream runs 1 hour 54 minutes (114 minutes).

When was Swimming Upstream released?

Swimming Upstream was released on February 4, 2005.

Who directed Swimming Upstream?

Swimming Upstream was directed by Russell Mulcahy.

More films by Russell Mulcahy

How is Swimming Upstream rated?

Swimming Upstream has 7.0/10 on IMDb and 58 on Metacritic.

Does Swimming Upstream have a post-credit scene?

No. Swimming Upstream has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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