Swimming upstream

Based on the book by Anthony and Diane Fingleton, “Swimming upstream” chronicles the turbulent life of the Fingleton family in 1950s Brisbane. In particular, that of Anthony (Tony) Fingleton (Jesse Spencer), younger brother John (Tim Draxl), and their father Harold (Geoffrey Rush). Tony and John were swimming champions, Tony in backstroke and John in freestyle. The siblings were close, especially during the years in which Tony, bullied by older brother Harold Jnr (mimicking the boorish behaviour of his father) for being effeminate finds solace in John and their mother. The patriarch is an overbearing presence, his emotions vacillating between devotion and belligerence. His mood, affected by alcoholism, takes a violent turn directed towards the rest of the family. Harold takes it upon himself to coach his two sons to swimming success but creates a cleft between them when he forces John to change strokes and race against his brother. Regret, machismo and emotional repression play out in this poignant film of a dysfunctional family that makes effective use of split screens to intensify the numerous races and an evocative instrumental soundtrack. Cast also includes Judy Davis as Harold’s long suffering wife Dora.