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Matt Czuchry, Jeffrey DeMunn, Ron Dean, Elisabeth Harnois, Michael Moriarty ... see more see more... , Kelly Rutherford , Geoffrey Rush , Judy Davis , Jesse Spencer , Tim Draxl , David Hoflin , Craig Horner , Brittany Byrnes , Deborah Kennedy , Mark Hembrow , Mitchell Dellevergin , Thomas Davidson , Kain O'Keefe , Robert Quinn , Keeara Byrnes , Des Drury , Melissa Thomas , Dawn Fraser , Remi Broadway , Murray Rose , Ben Savage

The true story of Tony Fingleton, a young man from a troubled family who found the inner strength to become a champion. Set in 1950s Brisbane, Australia, the family drama centers on Tony, a young man ... read more read more...who beats the odds to become a champion swimmer in spite of his overbearing, alcoholic father and long-suffering, but quietly heroic mother. Overshadowed in his father's eyes by his brothers, it's only when Tony displays an extraordinary swimming talent that he feels he has a shot at wining his father's heart--and maybe even Olympic gold.

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67% liked it

827 ratings

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Robert J. Emery

Release Date: February 4, 2005

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DVD Release Date: March 21, 2006

Stats: 45 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (45)

  • jamilyn0276
    July 14, 2009
    jamilyn0276
    Oh the things you will sit and watch when you can't sleep. ...
    Swimming Upstream is the coming of age tale of a 17 year old boy from Rhode Island. Star of the soccer team, Dead mother, alcoholic father, can't get his girlfriend to deflower him, and then he finds out he has Leuke... read moremia. Don't worry, it's gets all " After School Special " for a second, and then he pulls through.
    I like to watch B rate movies. Sometimes the B can stand for Brilliant or Bright, or the Best thing you have seen in awhile. Unfortunately for this waste of film, the B seemed to stand for Boring and just plain BAD.
    We all remember Ben Savage from Boy Meets World. He was sort of cute in that show, and he is sort of charming in this film. That is the half of a star. The rest of the cast, seriously needs to reconsider if acting is what they are best suited for. Michael Moriarty, who is usually a decent actor, bored me to tears as Morris Sr. He was so monotone and flat, that I thought I was back in Algebra II with that horrid teacher who liked to put kids to sleep, rather than teach. Yuck.
    I think half of the people on Flixster must be high. Some of the reviews on this page actually said that this was a good and sad movie. On what planet?!
    Oh and the page is completely wrong. Surprise, surprise. This movie was released in 2002, not to be confused with the movie from 2003, that has the exact same title, Swimming Upstream, about the Australian swimmer Tony Fingleton. THAT movie starred Geoffry Rush, David Hoflin, Deborah Kennedy, and Brittany Brynes. The only correct actor on this movies Flixster page was Ben Savage. He should be up there with Matt Czuchry, Michael Moriarty, and Kelly Rutheford.
    Seriously people, pull your heads out of your asses, before you try to wax intellectual on things. Not that is really matters, THIS Swimming Upstream is still a huge failure.

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Critic Reviews

Brent Simon
October 5, 2004
Brent Simon, Entertainment Today

Management of tone is everything in tales this sentimental, and Swimming Upstream is ploddingly obvious and mawkish -- all desultory domestic scenes and bad monologues. Full Review

David Stratton
February 23, 2012
David Stratton, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

August 19, 2010
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

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Swimming Upstream Trivia

  • Which one is not a horror movie?  Answer »
  • 2003 Film The inspirational life story of Australian swimmer, Tony Fingleton. Starring Geoffrey Rush & Jesse Spencer  Answer »
  • The movie Swimming Upstream is about brothers who become rivals in the intense world of swimming in Australia. Is the Producer of the film one of the boys who become his brothers rival?  Answer »
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