The Bodyguard (1992)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writer (WGA):

Lawrence Kasdan (written by)

Release Date:

25 November 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama | Thriller | Music

Tagline:

Never let her out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love.

Plot:

A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to a pop singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.

Plot Keywords:

Bodyguard | Singer | Pop Singer | Entourage | Home

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Frank Farmer
Whitney Houston	...	Rachel Marron
Gary Kemp	...	Sy Spector
Bill Cobbs	...	Devaney
Ralph Waite	...	Herb Farmer
Tomas Arana	...	Portman
Michele Lamar Richards	...	Nicki
Mike Starr	...	Tony
Christopher Birt	...	Henry
DeVaughn Nixon	...	Fletcher
Gerry Bamman	...	Ray Court
Joe Urla	...	Minella
Tony Pierce	...	Dan
Charles Keating	...	Klingman
Robert Wuhl	...	Oscar Host

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | South Korea:15 | France:Unrated | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | UK:15 (cut) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

1038 Hill Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kasdan Pictures

Trivia:

The proposal for this film was rejected 67 times.

Goofs:

Continuity: When returning from the funeral - the left side the windshield had a sign saying "FUNERAL" - two seconds later it is on the right side.

Quotes:

Frank: [shakes the weathered intercom speaker] Frank Farmer to see Miss Marron.
Intercom voice: [static hiss] What?
Frank: Alexander Graham Bell, to see Miss Marron.
Intercom voice: You got an appointment?
Frank: Yeah... the atomic number of zinc is thirty.
Intercom voice: All right.
[gate opens to let Frank enter]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Bad Boys of Saturday Night Live (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Trust in Me

I can't protect you, not like this.

Frank Farmer is a top line bodyguard, formerly secret service protector to President Reagan, he is approached to guard Rachel Marron, the latest pop sensation on the cusp of Hollywood domination. After initially being reluctant to take the job, Farmer gets to the task of protecting Rachel from a potential maniac who's been sending her threatening letters. As the initial in camp hostilities die down, Frank & Rachel start to draw ever closer, but so does the person who wants her dead.....

The Bodyguard is one of those films that was long in gestation, originally mooted in 1976 to star Steve McQueen {it was written with McQueen in mind in the 60s} and Diana Ross, it was put on the back burner after McQueen fell ill to the cancer that killed him. Then it resurfaced in 1979 with Diana Ross to play opposite Ryan O'Neal, but the two stars just couldn't get on and the project again fell by the wayside. Enter Kevin Costner and his boys at TIG Productions, original choice to star alongside Costner, Maddona, ruined her chance {thankfully} of starring after being a bitch to Costner in her Truth Or Dare documentary. In stepped Whitney Houston {brilliantly diva casting}, Costner gave himself a crew cut {in homage to McQueen} and The Bodyguard went on to make $410,900,000 worldwide.

The film now seems like a myth to me because it's rating across many forums is on the low side, critics hate it and you will be hard pressed to find macho film fans readily about to own up to liking the picture. That's a shame because as undeniably nonsense as it is, it's got a great thriller heart to blend in with its romantic core, the good ship Bodyguard may dock at all the formula ports in the genres, but it's one hell of a journey getting to the end, with that song that seemed to top the charts for years {the soundtrack to the movie selling 17 million in America alone}.

In spite of the obviousness of the plot, and the general feeling of familiarity, The Bodyguard has much going for it, things that ensured it became a monster hit and had cinema goers queueing round the block to see it. Houston is something of a revelation, here she nails the diva bitch heart of gold portrayal of Rachel with astonishing ease, and couple that with a voice sent from some deity paradise far away, makes her total value for money. Costner also stepped up to the plate to win a new breed of fans as Farmer, his charm and laid back manner works well with a ruggedness that the male viewers could easily get on side with. The rest of the cast are merely playing second fiddle to the well matched up leads, and outside of Gary Kemp becoming increasingly annoying as the film progresses, they all blend in well to create what is now a sadly undervalued picture.

See it with someone you love, don't take my word for it, look at the box office take, it doesn't lie. 7/10