Kicking & Screaming dealt with it in a (relatively) lighthearted and goofball manner but as the touching and gritty Swimming Upstream reveals, in the cutthroat world of recreational sports, there's little that's more intimidating than a ruthless parent. Centered on the true story of Australian swimming champion Tony Fingleton (who actually penned the film's screenplay) and his contentious relationship with his abusive, alcoholic father Harold (Geoffrey Rush), Swimming Upstream manages to transcends cliche and becomes a film about surviving and winning at all costs.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy (veteran of the US version of "Queer As Folk" and the seminal Kim Basinger classic The Real McCoy), Swimming Upstream follows Tony Fingleton (Mitchell Dellevergin as a youngster, Jesse Spencer as a teen) from his youth through young adulthood, a well-meaning young man from a troubled family who competes not only with himself but with his brothers for the attention and affection of their monstrous father (Rush). Only when Tony displays a knack for swimming does he feel as though there's a chance at winning his father's heart - until Harold pits another of his sons against Tony in competition for the Australian Olympic swim team.

Boasting a pair of crackling performances from Rush and Judy Davis as Dora, the Fingleton matriarch, Swimming Upstream is a sports film fused with a harrowing domestic drama, seemingly unable to commit to one or the other. At the same time, given that the screenplay is penned by the man who lived a less fictionalized version of the narrative, one could perhaps assume the schism existed in reality. That said, the cast is adroit at balancing scenes of intimate domestic disintegration with fist-pumping stretches of athletic competition - Spencer exudes confidence and charisma as the conflicted Tony Fingleton; his scenes with Rush resonate with a raw intensity.

Swimming Upstream barely made a ripple upon its theatrical release in 2003 - a fate that might suggest a sub-par film. Such is not the case - Mulcahy and his cast have crafted a slight but engaging sports drama that cleaves not so neatly between an athlete's public and private struggles.

The Video:

Swimming Upstream is offered in a clean 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that shows off Martin McGrath's poetic cinematography. There's little evidence of print damage or image irregularity - the water sparkles and the tense domestic scenes vibrate with a dingy authenticity. A very nice visual representation.

The film is offered in Dolby Digital 5.1 - a soundtrack that doesn't get much of a workout, even in the somewhat active scenes of swimming competitions. Dialogue is crisp and clear and the occasionally Eighties-flavored soundtrack remains balanced.

The supplemental material offered is slight but better than nothing: the film's theatrical trailer in anamorphic widescreen; an eight minute, 30 second full-screen featurette titled "Swimming Upstream: The Making of a Champion" and 19 minutes of deleted scenes, available separately or played together, in anamorphic widescreen.

Fans of either Geoffrey Rush or Judy Davis would do well to pick this flick up - otherwise, it's a solid rental recommendation.