Against the Current

2009
R
1h 38m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Struggling with a tragic past, a man with an urgent calling enlists two friends to help him swim the length of the Hudson River.Struggling with a tragic past, a man with an urgent calling enlists two friends to help him swim the length of the Hudson River.Struggling with a tragic past, a man with an urgent calling enlists two friends to help him swim the length of the Hudson River.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

1.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos75

+ 70

User reviews24

6.11.3K

Featured reviews

7SnoopyStyle

great trio

Paul Thompson (Joseph Fiennes) is haunted by the lost of his pregnant wife Amy. He talks his bartender best friend Jeff Kane (Justin Kirk) to help him swim the length of the Hudson River. Acquaintance Liz Clark (Elizabeth Reaser) is intrigued and joins the merry band. Later, Paul reminds Jeff that his planned end date is the fifth anniversary of Amy's death. He tells his fellow travelers that he plans to kill himself at the end of their trip.

I really love this trio. They have fun chemistry. They have also great depths. They have great interactions. I almost don't want them to have that detour with Michelle Trachtenberg and Mary Tyler Moore. The stars' presence took me out of the trio's journey. Instead, I would keep them interacting with non-stars. The best joke is the guy passing by in the truck yelling f*ggot at them. Each one of the three contributes something great to the group.

9Richmondlady-71-51200

A Quiet Movie

The movie recently was running on Showtime and got TiVo'd last night. Watched because I like both Justin Kirk and Joseph Fiennes. So I watched this lazy Saturday early morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. Just what a quiet morning needs. The scenery along the Hudson Valley is spectacular and I felt I was rolling along in the boat. I think Justin Kirk was just right (as usual) with his character, no over the top stuff. Mary Tyler Moore was a hoot and hopefully we can see more of her. The subject matter is a bit disconcerting but it kept me intrigued. Not only was the story and scenery compelling, the music captured my attention also. The movie was well done...., Just watch while you can let yourself be carried along slowly. I gave it a rating of "9" since it i liked watching it and when it was done, stayed with me emotionally. Does cause one to consider uncomfortable situations....morally and ethically. Enjoy.

8rod674

Heartwarming, haunting story of man who swims The Hudson River

This movie has a character who's very relatable, a character who wants to accomplish something great in his life, something he can say he actually "did." This is something many people wish they had the courage to do- to actually "do" something rather than just talking about doing it. It was inspiring to see it in this film. The cinematography is stunning and beautiful. That in of itself is a reason to watch this movie. Everything from the sound of lapping water to large cargo ships passing by all present a fluid and calming picture. I wont go into the storyline here, but suffice it to say it is satisfying and flows smoothly. The movie has bits of dark humor and funny moments, all of which elicited laughs. It's certainly not a comedy however, but these moments provide needed comic relief. Each of the starring actors gave phenomenal performances. Joseph Fiennes is remarkable as the haunted Paul Thompson, and Justin Kirk provides lighthearted relief as his friend, Jeff. Elizabeth Reaser complements the ensemble with more fantastic acting. Overall a great piece, with a strong story and strong cinematography

10kam6318

Warm thoughtful film

I had the chance to see this at AFI festival in Dallas. The movie is beautifully shot, and some of the scenes along the Hudson are gorgeous. The story line is intriguing, and unfolds as the swimmer makes his way through the challenge of swimming the Hudson. As the first reviewer said, he has a tragic story that compels him to take on this feat. I won't divulge the details, but as his story comes out, it makes you think hard about some of life's issues. Definitely worth seeing.

The dialog is also well-written. Although this is not a comedy, the dialog is often quite funny. Fiennes may have gorgeous eyes, but I thought Justin Kirk's character really stood out in the film.

10ginny-klemm

Stunning...

This movie took my breath away. I LOVE Justin Kirk, that guy is amazing and he did not disappoint. I won't give away any spoilers but the story completely pulls you in and you can't wait to see what happens next.

I don't know that I loved the sideline with Mary Tyler Moore. I can see its value but I just wanted to see more of the three core characters. I also think they could've done more with the storyline with Justin Kirk's character and the difficulty with his wife.

This film is gorgeous to watch but will also stay with once the end credits are done rolling. Best to see it with someone so that you can discuss it afterwards!

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Storyline

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Trivia
Mary Tyler Moore's last film.

Quotes
Jeff Kane: We are looking to buy a boat.
Boatyard Owner: You sure can't have one for free... Ha-ha-ha
[laughter, slowing turning into hysterical cough; also declining any help offer with a hand-sign. All shocked, cough lasts for about 20-25 seconds, and at the end, he spits out, saying:]
Boatyard Owner: What kinda boat?
Jeff Kane: [totally confused] What?
Boatyard Owner: What kind of boat you're looking for?
Jeff Kane: Oh... aah... smallest one you got...
Boatyard Owner: Like a canoe?
[laughing, accompanied with small, scary cough]
Paul Thompson: A motor-boat... with a weak motor...
Boatyard Owner: A weak motor?
Jeff Kane: Weakest one you got.
Katie: He's gonna swim down the river to the city, and we need to ride next to him. So, you know, just anything that you could put along the side...
Boatyard Owner: You swim to New York City?
Paul Thompson: Yep.
Boatyard Owner: Some sorta charity type of thing? A dollar for a mile, or something?
Paul Thompson: Not really.
Boatyard Owner: Hmmm... Well, I got an old whaler, with an old 70-horse-power engine, couldn't outrun the turtle
[showing them to the coast, to the boat. Small cough and all move towards the coast]
Boatyard Owner: Twenty-four hundred bucks...
Paul Thompson: [almost immediately] Sounds reasonable...
Jeff Kane: Yea, I believe that's the going rate for all boats with weak engines.
Boatyard Owner: You folks done much boating before?
[small cough - everyone looking at each other...]
Katie: Uhmmm... I have. I went to the summer camp on lake Oregon. We had a water skiing, sometimes they let us steer a boat.
Boatyard Owner: Well, this boat couldn't pull the turtle, much less a skier.
Jeff Kane: What's with the turtles?
Boatyard Owner: [after a short pause] Piloting a boat is lot different from driving a car.
Jeff Kane: But, it, uh... starts with a key, right?
Boatyard Owner: Yeah. But it has no breaks for starters...
Jeff Kane: Neither did my last car. I think we will fine.