Summary
In the academic halls of a 1920s university, Alice Smith is a woman out of step with her own desires. Under the eccentric guidance of Dr. Spangle, she spends her days netting butterflies, a hobby that serves as a thin veil for her social isolation. However, the true object of her pursuit is Jerry Marvin, the campus athletic star who remains oblivious to the charms of a bookish entomologist. In a desperate bid for his attention, Alice swaps her specimen jars for a swimsuit, only to become the target of collegiate ridicule. A cruel prank by Helen Tracey leads Alice into a grueling channel swim she is wholly unprepared for. When a dense fog and a fortuitous collision with a fishing boat result in a fraudulent victory, Alice is hailed as a hero. The deception gains her Jerry's heart and a mentorship from the world-famous Gertrude Ederle, but the weight of the lie threatens to sink her newfound happiness. Alice must eventually choose between the comfort of a stolen reputation and the grueling reality of earning her place in the water.
Synopsis
Serious university co-ed Alice Smith, is wholly engrossed, it would appear, in chasing butterflies and rare insects under the guidance of her friend, Mr. Spangle, Ph. D., though she secretly yearns to be an athlete and thus win the admiration of Jerry Marvin, a popular schoolmate. She takes up swimming, making herself the campus joke because of her ideas on the subject, which result from the spiteful influence of Helen Tracey. She is persuaded to enter a channel swim, but en route she is relieved by Spangle's boat; through a heavy fog, Spangle maneuvers the boat unwittingly in the direction of the finish line; and when they collide with a fishing boat, Alice is thrown into the water and is acclaimed the winner. Jerry begins to fall for her as a result and introduces her to Gertrude Ederle, who trains Alice in swimming; learning of the previous deception, Jerry rejects her, then relents when she enters another race and wins on her own merits.
