The Big Bad Swim
Encyclopedia
The Big Bad Swim is a 2006
American
independent film
about a group of adults who enroll in an adult education beginner's swim class. The film takes place in southeastern Connecticut
, in towns like Old Lyme
, New London
, Essex
, and Uncasville
. It was directed by Ishai Setton. It was released on DVD
in North America
on July 24, 2007.
) is a calculus teacher going through a divorce with her husband, Paul (Grant Aleksander
). Noah Owens (Jeff Branson
) is the teacher of the swim class who is battling depression until he meets Jordan (Jess Weixler
), a beautiful casino dealer/exotic dancer who wants to learn how to swim. Other members in the class include a cop (Kevin Porter Young), a cocky woman who already knows how to swim (Liza Lapira
), and a married couple (Todd Susman
and Darla Hill).
Jordan's brother, David (Avi Setton) and his obnoxious friend Hunter (Raviv Ullman) are trying to make a documentary about her.
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
about a group of adults who enroll in an adult education beginner's swim class. The film takes place in southeastern Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, in towns like Old Lyme
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Old Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Main Street of the town is a historic district. The town has long been a popular summer resort and artists' colony...
, New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, Essex
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.- History :- The Great Attack :...
, and Uncasville
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River...
. It was directed by Ishai Setton. It was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on July 24, 2007.
Plot
The film is an ensemble comedy-drama that focuses on the group of people, each of whom is afraid of the water, that join an adult swim class. Amy Pierson (Paget BrewsterPaget Brewster
Paget Valerie Brewster is an American actress. She is currently known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. In June 2010, it was said that her role on Criminal Minds would be reduced in the sixth season. In March 2011, Brewster's character left the series...
) is a calculus teacher going through a divorce with her husband, Paul (Grant Aleksander
Grant Aleksander
Grant Aleksander Kunkowski , better known as Grant Aleksander, is an American actor.-Early life:Aleksander was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was well known at McDonogh School as both a football player and a thespian. He attended the Washington and Lee University...
). Noah Owens (Jeff Branson
Jeff Branson
Jeffrey Dale "Jeff" Branson is an American actor.-Life and career:Branson was born in St.Louis and originated the role of Jonathan Lavery on the ABC soap opera All My Children on June 15, 2004. Although he was off the air from mid-April until August 2005 while his character was believed dead in an...
) is the teacher of the swim class who is battling depression until he meets Jordan (Jess Weixler
Jess Weixler
Jessica "Jess" Weixler is an American actress, best known to date as the lead in the comedy-horror film Teeth and the comedy The Big Bad Swim...
), a beautiful casino dealer/exotic dancer who wants to learn how to swim. Other members in the class include a cop (Kevin Porter Young), a cocky woman who already knows how to swim (Liza Lapira
Liza Lapira
Liza Lapira is an American actress best known for playing Kianna in the 2008 film 21 and Special Agent Michelle Lee in NCIS. She is also known for her role as Maggie Del Rosario on Huff.-Life and career:...
), and a married couple (Todd Susman
Todd Susman
Todd Susman is an American actor. His better-known roles include Officer Shifflett on Newhart and the unseen P.A. system announcer on the television series M*A*S*H, a role he shared with Sal Viscuso...
and Darla Hill).
Jordan's brother, David (Avi Setton) and his obnoxious friend Hunter (Raviv Ullman) are trying to make a documentary about her.
Reactions
Reviews for the film have been positive. It was also a hit at several film festivals and won some awards. Among the awards the film won were:- Best American Independent at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.
- Runner-Up Audience Award for Best Director at the Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
. - Best Feature at the Annapolis Film Festival.
- Screenings at the Avignon Film FestivalAvignon Film FestivalAvignon Film Festival is also known as the Rencontres Cinématographiques Franco-Américain d'Avignon. The festival used to be called the French/American Film Workshop.The festival took place in Avignon, France every year and was devoted to promoting Film...
, Munich Film Festival and the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.