NYAD

 

   This new drama is the story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad's incredible non-stop swim from Cuba to the Florida keys. It stars Annette Bening as Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster as her best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll.

   After a failed attempt at age 28, Diana Nyad decides at 60 to try the extremely difficult and dangerous swim again with Bonnie as her coach. It is simply a remarkable achievement, chronicled here in great detail. Ms. Bening is absolutely incredible in the role and kudos to her for even taking on the part in the first place. Ms. Foster is at her most natural in her role as Bonnie. The two real life friends share a wonderful bond that is faithfully recreated by the performance of the film’s two stars.

    The film co-stars Rhys Ifans as navigator John Bartlett, Karley Rothenberg as skipper Dee Brady, Jeena Yi as Angel Yanagihara, Luke Cosgrove as Luke Tipple, Eric T. Miller as Jack Nelson (teenage Diana's swimming coach, seen in flashbacks) and Garland Scott as Jon Rose.

   Dramatic scenes are interspersed with archival footage of the real Ms. Nyad that adds to the overall exuberant experience of the film. It's a must see, both for the performances and for the inspirational story.

 Available on Netflix.