There’s Already a ‘Nyad’ Backlash Brewing Up

Vasarhelyi & Chin’s “Nyad” is supposed to be one of this fall’s more Oscar baity titles, but will it survive the inevitable backlash that’s about to hit it? It could be another “Sound of Freedom,” but without the big box-office.

The film, supposedly based on a true story, stars Annette Bening as Diana Nyad, the first person, at the age of 64, to swim from Cuba to the US without a shark cage.

The film will be screening at Telluride and TIFF. Before the actors strike, Benning was going to get Telluride’s annual tribute honors, which in the past, has been known to be a gateway to kickstart a major Oscar campaign.

Here’s where the story gets interesting. A man by the name of Daniel Slosberg is trying to derail this movie by claiming that Nyad was a fraud. He’s even opened up his own NyadFactcheck website.

Supposedly, Nyad’s accomplishment has not been formally ratified by any recognized marathon swimming governing body. Slosberg is calling her a scammer, con artist and fraud. He adds that given Nyad’s statements and the available data, she could not have swum from Cuba to Florida under her own power.

The screenplay for “Nyad” is based on Nyad's autobiography — she’s telling her own story here. Whether Slosberg has an agenda is besides the point. He claims all of the evidence is conclusive enough for us to believe that she cheated her way towards her accomplishment.

Benning, a great actress, has been nominated four times, but never won an Oscar. She’s way overdue. “Nyad” is supposed to use that narrative and propel her to the top of the actress field.

The film also stars Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans, Ethan Jones Romero, Luke Cosgrove, Jeena Yi, and Eric T. Miller. We’ll know how good it is when it premiered at Telluride during labor day weekend.