‘Nyad’: Annette Bening keeps her head above water as the formidable but flawed swimmer

Annette Bening stars as long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad in “Nyad.”

Let’s get the controversies out of the way at the starting line and acknowledge that the Oscar-bait film “Nyad” brushes aside the questions involving legendary marathon swimming Diana Nyad’s history of sometimes embellishing her accomplishments, as well as the questions some still have about Nyad’s 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida at age 64, which has never been officially certified by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

        Here’s what is not in doubt. On Sept. 2, 2013, on her fifth attempt to accomplish the mind-boggling feat of swimming from Cuba to Key West, Diana Nyad did it. Whether or not there should be an asterisk next to that record due to Nyad wearing a full bodysuit or perhaps being touched by a crew member is up to the purists and the official organizations to debate.