The Swimmer is a 1968 American surreal drama film starring Burt Lancaster. The film was written and directed by Academy Award-nominated husband-and-wife team of Eleanor Perry and Frank Perry. The story is based on the 1964 short story "The Swimmer" by John Cheever, which appeared in the July 18, 1964, issue of The New Yorker. A man spends a summer day swimming home via all the pools in his quiet suburban neighborhood.