... they could have used "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John as the end credits song. "But losing everything.... is like the sun going down on me"... perfect lyrics to describe the film. Anyhow, this film is a real hidden gem, I'm glad I watched it. I knew nothing about it other than it was about a guy who swims from pool to pool telling his life story. It's really hard hitting stuff. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore.
shareI finally got to see this a few nights ago, and agree it had some surprisingly powerful scenes. One that has stuck with me was the sequence at the community pool, when those acquaintances of Ned were calling him a deadbeat and a laughing stock. Like you said, pretty strong stuff.
Some of it was very 60s, like the slow motion montage of him and Julie jumping over the horse hurdles. Their walk through the woods with the camera often panning away to the sun and causing all those lens flares was a tad psychedelic, too.
Overall though, I liked the film a lot. Definitely much to think about, and Lancaster pulled off the role amazingly well. As for the Elton John song, I think that would have come across as a little heavy-handed -- considering the final scene told us everything we needed to know.
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