Guarding Tess (1994)

Best movie ever!

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Everyone pays attention to former presidents, but what about former first ladies? Guarding Tess shows audiences what happens when the spouses leave the White House.Shirley MacLaine is a widowed former first lady, guarded for the rest of her life by the Secret Service. She gives her usual wonderfully gruff performance with touches of sensitivity and heart when it matters. She's just lovely. Nicolas Cage gives an equally brilliant performance as her main agent, frustrated by his boring assignment and Shirley's grouchy disposition.The two play off each other beautifully, and the audience is given an unusual but touching love-hate friendship to watch. Guarding Tess is a really fantastic movie, with great acting and a memorable theme, and it's really knowledgeable, too! Pretty much all the information I have about the Secret Service I learned from this movie.

I know that when most movies start (or for that matter, most books), it takes time to "set things up". But honestly, this film is downright boring for almost the first half. After all, we all know where this film is going...at least generally; either there will be an assassination plot against her or a kidnapping, or some life-threatening event.Once we reach that point, then things get darned interesting. Although with more time for this part of the film, it could have been done much more nicely. The sentimentality was crucial to the film, but more time should have been given to the action; there could have been a better balance.Can I believe Nicholas Cage as a secret service agent? Yes. Can I believe Shirley MacLaine as a feisty First Lady? Yes. Both of these two main actors do very nicely here.The slightly creepy Austin Pendleton is so good here, as he almost always was. You kinda know he's a suspect, and he plays it perfectly. Edward Albert seems rather superfluous here.The other supporting actors all do well here, although none stand out.It's a decent film, but not outstanding. But Shirley MacLaine is a joy and a treasure.

A very run-of-the-mill picture but not without charm. An odd-couple movie with the concept twist of high office this film sits somewhere in the orbit of Driving Miss Daisy and The Bodyguard. Nicholas Cage's Doug Chesnic is aghast to discover that his stint of personal duty towards the former first Lady is being extended indefinitely. Shirley Maclaine can see that this is a thin idea and really works the slow-burn heart of the film only softening her stubborn, lonely widower by increments. There is no attempt made to really work the issue of duty vs individual need - of statutory vs sentimental guardianship - but the film makes its point elegantly enough. 4/10

GUARDING TESS takes a crochety, ailing, widowed former First Lady (MacClaine) and one very reluctant Secret Service agent (Cage) and pairs them on a path that spells almost certain doom for one of them. She can't get along with anyone, including her grown son who ignores her. And Cage just can't get along with her. Naturally, over time, they form a strong bond. Then the unexpected happens. Their world is turned upside down when she is kidnapped. The movie shifts into high melodrama at this point and never lets up until the end. The music begins to thunder down on us, Cage badly overacts, mostly yelling and bellowing, and the film almost goes off the rails. Austin Pendleton hams it up as the First Lady's neurotic driver, and frankly he's not very good in this one. A mostly entertaining little movie that soon enough gets too big for its britches. See it and decide for yourself.