Nyad

Diana Nyad’s relentlessly overbearing personality adds an intriguing dynamic to what seems like an uplifting eponymous biopic about triumphing over adversity.

As she becomes obsessed with becoming the first swimmer to traverse the open water from Cuba to Florida, Nyad stays afloat even as part of you might wish its namesake would just drown. That’s because the film focuses more on the devotion and lifelong friendship of two women, instead of just the one in the title.

Fittingly for the narrative feature debut of directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo), the film starts with a documentary montage of Nyad’s achievements as a swimmer, sports commentator, and advocate for female athletes.

She was 28 when she first attempted the swim from Havana to Key West. More than 30 years later, haunted by memories of her past failures and unresolved trauma from her upbringing, Diana (Annette Bening) is driven to defy the odds. “You turn 60, and the world decides that you’re a bag of bones,” she laments.

She tells Bonnie (Jodie Foster), her coach and domestic companion, that she’s going back into training. They assemble a team including a skeptical ship captain (Rhys Ifans) and drum up publicity.

Battling her age, the elements — including sharks and jellyfish — and her fragile psyche, she’s both intensely focused and doggedly stubborn as her mission is scuttled. She vows to keep trying, again and again. But is her persistence courageous or reckless?

Bonnie threatens to throw in the towel, wondering if she’s just an enabler to an exhausting and selfish know-it-all desperately seeking closure and catharsis. However, their bond is inseparable.

Embellishments aside, the screenplay positions her deep-seeded neuroses as charming quirks, then digs beneath them. It captures Diana’s lifelong affinity and connection to the water, as well as her fiercely competitive nature.

Bening balances strength and vulnerability as a woman whose charisma is both endearing and annoying. You can both admire Diana for her determination while also wondering if this stunt is just an ego trip.

In some ways, the film adopts the structure of the typical sports underdog saga, exploring what motivates Diana without settling for bland inspiration. But it’s really a tribute to Bonnie.

The swimming sequences are staged with a vivid authenticity. By the end, her redemption is more important than completing her challenge. Nyad realizes that, even if Diana does not.

Rated PG-13, 121 minutes.