My Bodyguard (1980)

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Nice effects though.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Like many people my age, I was raised on cable TV. No babysitter was needed. All my folks had to do was plop me down in front of the television set and basically "set it and forget it." I was a very low-maintenance child. Anyway...I was about 8 or 9 years old when I first stumbled upon "My Bodyguard". It was truly a movie I grew up watching. Being so young the first time I saw it, there was no way I could fully appreciate everything it had to offer. Sure, at first I noticed that "kids" were involved. And the fact they too went to school. And sure they sounded a lot like the people around me. And then there was a fight at the end. I took it at face value the first time I saw it. I mean how great could it have been to an 8 year old? There weren't any Muppets in it. Then I saw the film again and again. It was on a constant loop back then. After all, HBO had just gone 24/7 and they were desperate for content. So the older I grew and the more I was exposed to the real world, the better the film got. Slowly, I began to realize how accurate "My Bodyguard" was to the real world. For those of you who don't know, "My Bodyguard" is about a new kid at school who is being picked on by a bully and his cronies. And instead of giving in to them (like everyone else), this new kid decides (quite brilliantly) to "hire" the most feared kid in school to be his bodyguard. And in doing so, the new kid "Clifford" slowly befriends the feared, mysterious giant "Ricky Linderman". I get goosebumps every time I think about it.So, over the course of three or four years, I must of seen this film a good ten-twenty times. And I started to realize that there was a Clifford Peache in my school. And depending upon the day, it could be me. Not only that, but the school bully in the film, Melvin Moody (the excellent Matt Dillon), he went to my school too! As did Ricky Linderman. It got to the point, where no matter which way I turned, I saw every character in that movie at my school...in my life. "My Bodyguard" is probably the first movie I truly related to. Of course, it's like I said, I "grew up" watching this movie.

My Bodyguard is a fantastic small movie and one that seems to have been forgotten over time. It's a typical growing-of-age film, but it has an interesting premise as well as a great cast which breathes life into their characters. I really enjoyed the story and it brought something new to a genre that is worn-out, at least in today's standard.Tony Bill's film is about a boy named Clifford who is the new boy at school. He immediately makes an enemy in the name of Moody when he refuses to pay his lunch money. In order to survive high school, Clifford hires the services of the most-feared kid in the school to act as his bodyguard.I thought the acting was excellent. It's a shame Chris Makepeace did not have a big career, because he showed talent here. Matt Dillon was typically angry and menacing as the school bully. Speaking of menacing, Adam Baldwin was certainly menacing as Clifford's bodyguard. I also thought Ruth Gordon as Clifford's grandmother was quite funny.Overall, My Bodyguard is a forgotten little gem, but it is a great movie and one of those from the 80's that shall not be missed. It's a movie about growing up and facing your fears by overcoming obstacles. The movie may have a predictable ending, but I loved the premise. The film is funny and warm. I rate this movie 9/10.

This is truly a gem of a movie-a great drama! It's a story about making friends, fitting in, and people "with a past." A kid moves into a new school in Chicago and becomes the new target of the resident bully who makes it a habit of extorting lunch money from kids. The new kid also makes new friends and learns about a mysterious other kid. He enlists that kid's help in guarding against the bully, learns from third parties about a horrible secret that kid harbors, and does his best to make friends despite the other kid's misgivings. Of course complications arise before a terrific ending with a hilarious final scene. I think this features wonderful performances all around (especially by the leads and the kids) and is a terrific film and a must-see for everyone. You will love it if you see it! *** 1/2 out of ****

When we saw "My Bodyguard", we were at school, in year 9 (senior in Junior High School), we were studying the problem of bullying. Our first impressions : the film looked very old (the kids have no mobiles, Clifford has a strange haircut, their clothes are typical eighties !)The actors are very talented : we preferred Clifford and Linderman. Moody looks very much like a school bully. The teachers are not realistic because our teachers would never be so lax.Overall, the film works because we identify with Clifford. We give the film a 9 out of 10.nochairocking57