FAQ

No one knows where the swimmer came from. It's open to interpretation. His present self is spawned out of illusion. The metaphorical river to the swimmer's home is a disillusioning journey through the man's past. Neddy reminisces about the good times and represses the bad memories. He revealed his fantasist philosophy to the little boy: "If you make believe hard enough that something is true, than it is true for YOU." Throughout the film, Neddy perseveres to hold himself in high regard, even when people reject him. He thinks everyone loves him. But when the swimmer meets with old friends and acquaintances, reality lets him down each time. What he thought would be a happy trip turned out to be a sad struggle. The swimmer went from fantasy to reality: warmth to cold, strong to weak, elite to outcast. Finally that dark storm cloud seen earlier, which is a foreshadowing, passes over his old house where his wife and children used to reside. One could infer that his wife left him and took the kids. Whatever happened, Neddy hasn't come to terms with it. At last the swimmer's delusion has faded away, much like the sunny day. The abandoned house is empty and alone like his life now.

You'll also notice that the Grahams (Kim Hunter and Charles Drake) are bewildered when Neddy mentions that his daughters are at home playing tennis. Obviously they knew the truth.