Guarding Tess

"A comedy beyond the call of duty."

1994 1h 36m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 362

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Doug is a Secret Service Agent who has just completed his stint in charge protecting Tess Carlisle—the widow of a former U.S. President, and a close personal friend of the current President. He finds that she has requested that he not be rotated but instead return to be her permanent detail. Doug is crushed, and—after returning—wants off her detail as she is very difficult to guard and makes her detail crazy with her whims and demands.

“A comedy beyond the call of duty.”

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Cast

Shirley MacLaine
Tess Carlisle
Nicolas Cage
Doug Chesnic
Austin Pendleton
Earl
Edward Albert
Barry Carlisle
James Rebhorn
Howard Shaeffer
Richard Griffiths
Frederick
John Roselius
Tom Bahlor
David Graf
Lee Danielson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hugh Wilson
Writers: Hugh Wilson, PJ Torokvei
Languages: Georgian, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Georgian, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Hugh Wilson, shot by Brian J. Reynolds. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Convertino. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sidney Levin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage and Austin Pendleton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A comedy beyond the call of duty.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0109951 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hugh Wilson directs. Brian J. Reynolds behind the camera. Michael Convertino scores. Sidney Levin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Georgian, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

132 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Georgian, English.
3Directed by Hugh Wilson, shot by Brian J. Reynolds. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Michael Convertino. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Sidney Levin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage and Austin Pendleton carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A comedy beyond the call of duty.".
8IMDB entry: tt0109951 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Brian J. Reynolds
Original score: Michael Convertino
Editing: Sidney Levin
Production design: Peter S. Larkin
Costume design: Sue Gandy
Makeup / hair: Selena Evans-Miller
Stunt coordinator: Jery Hewitt
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $27,058,304
Return: 135% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Guarding Tess (1994)

Also by

Hugh Wilson

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What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-08-26
★ 6/10
Shirley MacLaine ("Tess") is on good form in this rather daft tale of a pretty cantankerous former First Lady who has a running battle with her Secret Service agent Nicolas Cage ("Doug") as he tries to keep her within his security protocols - an exasperating task that is mostly an uphill struggle. A series of fun face-offs ensue as she and her team - chef Richard Griffiths and chauffeur Austin Pendleton run the poor old Cage ragged before, unexpectedly, she goes and gets herself into a bit of bother that mobilises just about the entire nation. "Tess" has got some good one-liners and there is a fair amount of chemistry between the pair as their love/hate relationship begins to pan out in this quite watchable comedy drama.

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