Lifeguard (film)

Last updated

Lifeguard
Lifeguardfilm.jpg
Directed by Daniel Petrie
Written byRon Koslow
Produced by Ron Silverman
Starring Sam Elliott
Anne Archer
Stephen Young
Parker Stevenson
Kathleen Quinlan
Cinematography Ralph Woolsey
Edited byArt J. Nelson
Music byDale Menten
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • July 23, 1976 (1976-07-23)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$900,000 [1]
Box office$5.4 million [2]

Lifeguard is a 1976 American drama film made by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Daniel Petrie from a screenplay by Ron Koslow. It stars Sam Elliott, Anne Archer, Stephen Young, Parker Stevenson, and Kathleen Quinlan. [3] [4] The film follows Rick Carlson, a Southern California lifeguard who is prompted to reexamine his life when he attends his high school reunion.

Contents

Plot

Sam Elliot in his breakthrough role in as Rick Carlson Sam Elliott in Lifeguard.jpg
Sam Elliot in his breakthrough role in as Rick Carlson

Rick Carlson is a 32-year-old career lifeguard in Southern California who enjoys a commitment-free life of casual relationships. For the summer, he trains Chris Randolph, a college student and temporary weekend assistant. Though Rick is content with his profession, he is needled by his father to get a "real job" that pays more. One day, Rick receives an invitation to his 15-year high school reunion in the mail.

While on duty, Rick is approached by Wendy, a 17-year-old girl who has moved to the area from San Diego with her family. Wendy develops an infatuation with the older man. Though wary of returning her affections as she is underage, Rick remains friendly with her. He encounters Larry, an old high school friend who is now a partner in a Porsche dealership. Larry brings up the school reunion and tells Rick his old high school flame, the newly divorced Cathy, is expected to attend. Larry also offers Rick a sales position at the dealership, suggesting he can double his salary. Rick decides to go to the reunion in the hopes of seeing Cathy.

Meanwhile, Wendy continues to pursue Rick. At her insistence, Rick gives in to her one day and it is implied that they have sex in the lifeguard tower. On the night of the reunion, Wendy surprises Rick at his apartment door before he leaves. He invites her in and she is somewhat surprised to discover that he is in his 30s, but says she understands his concern over their age difference.

At the reunion, former classmates discuss their careers. Rick seems embarrassed about still being a lifeguard and begins to lie about why he is so tanned, claiming he works an outdoors job for the county. He reunites with Cathy and learns she works at an art gallery and has a young son. Rick and Cathy rekindle their relationship with each other. The next day, Rick and Chris compete in the annual lifeguard relay races, but Rick is outrun by younger competitors. Rick shows up to interview at the Porsche dealership. Mr. Gilmore, Larry’s partner, initially has doubts about Rick's qualifications, but reconsiders when Rick impresses him with how seriously he takes his lifeguard job.

After a brief absence, Wendy returns to the beach and asks Rick when they will be intimate again. He tells her plaintively that they are doing something illegal and it would be best if she found someone closer to her own age. He admits he is with someone else when she prods him about another woman. He tries to comfort a distraught Wendy. A few days later, he sees Wendy swimming away from the beach and goes to rescue her. She admits she is trying to kill herself. He takes her to shore and walks her to her car. He reassures her that when school starts Monday she will "begin to make new friends" before she drives off.

Rick visits Cathy at the art gallery to tell her about the incident with Wendy, which seems to have frazzled him. Cathy comforts him, then invites him to move in with her. While they are discussing the arrangement, a male client continually insists that Cathy wait on him. An annoyed Rick loudly tells the man off, jeopardizing Cathy's standing at the gallery. He apologizes to Cathy for losing his cool and says he will think over the living situation.

With the summer season winding down, Larry returns to the beach one more time to offer Rick a job selling Porsches. Rick turns it down definitively, even though he realizes it will probably mean an end to his relationship with Cathy who has been encouraging him to become more upwardly mobile. He tells Larry he will remain a lifeguard "just as long as they'll have me". On his last day on the assistant job, Chris thanks Rick for everything he taught him.

As the movie ends, Rick is summoned to the beach changing room as a hysterical woman tells him there is a man in there. Rick asks the man what he's doing in the ladies' room. The man claims to be a police officer working surveillance but doesn't have his badge because he's working undercover.

Cast

Production

Elliott's parents were lifeguards and he had worked as a lifeguard himself. He was cast after Dan Petrie and his wife saw Elliott on TV in the film Frogs . Lifeguard completed filming in August 1975 but was held for release by Paramount until the following year. [5] Elliott held off on doing any TV in that time because he hoped the film would establish him in features. [6]

Despite some of its serious subject matter, the film was marketed as a lighthearted beach party movie. [7] [8] [9] However, it was considered a breakthrough for Elliott, [10] [7] with the actor saying, "Dan Petrie did a great job directing that movie; it was shot for something like only $900,000. Those were the days". [1]

Part of the film was shot in Petrie's own home. [11]

It was executive produced by Ted Mann. [12] [5] [10]

Most of the lifeguard tower scenes were filmed at the Knob Hill and "Burnout" towers in the South Bay of Los Angeles. [5]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Lifeguard holds a rating of 47% from 17 reviews. [13]

Reviewing the film in The New York Times , Vincent Canby stated: "As a film, 'Lifeguard' is romantic twaddle, but as sociology it's a spontaneous assault on a very American way of life. [...] as entertainment it ranks somewhat above 'Bikini Beach' but below 'Godzilla Versus Megalon.'" [14] In a positive review, Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "It's not just about a man beginning to wonder whether it's time for him to start growing up but rather about a man who's tough-minded and honest enough with himself to question what maturity really is. Is it really doing what is expected of you or is it having the courage to be yourself, to do what you want—especially when you're fortunate enough to know what you want to do in the first place?" [15]

Time Out wrote the film "manages to perform an interesting autopsy on the psyche of the American male". [16] Filmmaker David Frankel selected the film for a New York Times piece on favorite summer movies. [4]

In Through the Shattered Lens, Lisa Marie Bowman wrote, "The attempts to mix drama and comedy often lead to uneven results and Anne Archer, Parker Stevenson, and Stephen Young are stuck with underwritten characters…When the film does work, it’s due to the performances of Kathleen Quinlan and Sam Elliot. Though her character is a cliché (the rebellious teenager who isn’t as worldly as she thinks she is), Quinlan does a good job of giving the character a personality that makes her more than just a stock temptation." [17]

In a 2013 review for DVD Talk , Glenn Erickson said the film "captures a particular So-Cal beach vibe during a brief post-pill, pre-AIDS patch of time when a significant segment of the singles scene actually treated sex as a kind of heightened recreational activity", and noted that some elements, including the relationship with Wendy and the lightness with which the screenplay treats indecent exposure, are plainly dated. [10] Though he said the film's drawback is "it leaves a thread or two unresolved", he reviewed the film positively and said "What makes Lifeguard special is that Elliot convinces us that he's the nicest guy ever to walk a beach." [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Cadet Kelly</i> 2002 television film by Larry Shaw

Cadet Kelly is a 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Hilary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano. The film premiered with 7.8 million viewers. It is Duff's second starring film role, her first being Casper Meets Wendy. This was Disney Channel's second film filmed in Canada.

<i>Summer School</i> (1987 film) 1987 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner

Summer School is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and starring Mark Harmon as a high school gym teacher who is forced to teach a remedial English class during the summer. The film co-stars Kirstie Alley and Courtney Thorne-Smith. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and produced by George Shapiro and Howard West. The original music score was composed by Danny Elfman.

<i>Casper Meets Wendy</i> 1998 American film

Casper Meets Wendy is a 1998 American fantasy comedy film based on the Harvey Comics cartoon characters Casper the Friendly Ghost and Wendy the Good Little Witch. The film is a sequel to Casper: A Spirited Beginning, and the second spin-off/prequel of Casper (1995). Saban Entertainment co-produced the project.

<i>Perfect Strangers</i> (1945 film) 1945 British drama film

Perfect Strangers, is a 1945 British drama film made by London Films. It stars Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr as a married couple whose relationship is shaken by their service in the Second World War. The supporting cast includes Glynis Johns, Ann Todd and Roland Culver. It was produced and directed by Alexander Korda from a screenplay by Clemence Dane and Anthony Pelissier based on a story by Clemence Dane. Dane won the Academy Award for Best Story. The music score was by Clifton Parker and the cinematography by Georges Périnal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Elliott</span> American actor (born 1944)

Samuel Pack Elliott is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades of film and television, he is recognized for his deep sonorous voice. Elliott has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a National Board of Review Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

<i>The Amazing Mr. X</i> 1948 film by Bernard Vorhaus

The Amazing Mr. X, also known as The Spiritualist, is a 1948 American horror thriller film noir directed by Bernard Vorhaus with cinematography by John Alton. The film tells the story of a phony spiritualist racket. The film is prominently featured in Alton's book on cinematography Painting with Light (1949).

<i>They Wont Believe Me</i> 1947 film by Irving Pichel

They Won't Believe Me is a 1947 American film noir directed by Irving Pichel and starring Robert Young, Susan Hayward and Jane Greer. It was produced by Alfred Hitchcock's longtime assistant and collaborator, Joan Harrison. The film was made and distributed by Hollywood major studio RKO Pictures.

<i>The Even Stevens Movie</i> 2003 television film by Sean McNamara

The Even Stevens Movie is a 2003 American Disney Channel Original Movie that is based on the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. It premiered on June 13, 2003, serving as the series finale. The movie drew an audience of 5.1 million viewers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Alessi</span> Soap opera character

Marco Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Felice Arena. He made his first screen appearance as Marco during the episode broadcast on 5 May 1992. Marco was the first character introduced from the show's new Alessi family. He joined cousins and established characters Caroline Alessi and Christina Robinson in Ramsay Street. His parents Benito and Cathy Alessi with sibling Rick Alessi soon followed. Arena was happy to portray an Italian character because it resembled himself - noting that characters of a different ethnicity were rare on the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benito Alessi</span> Soap opera character

Benito Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by George Spartels. Benito was introduced along with his wife and two sons, following the announcement of several cast departures. Spartels was glad to bring something different to the show as part of the first family with Italian heritage. He thought the introduction of the Alessis showed viewers "a broader picture" of Australia, after the show was criticised for not accurately representing suburban life. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 28 July 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Buchannon</span> Fictional character in the television series Baywatch

Mitch Buchannon is a fictional character from the television series Baywatch. He was played by David Hasselhoff in every season of Baywatch and Baywatch Nights plus in the first season of Baywatch Hawaii. He also appeared in three films, Baywatch the Movie: Forbidden Paradise (1995), Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay (1998) and Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003). Later, Dwayne Johnson portrayed a lifeguard also named Mitch Buchannon who is a protege of the original Mitch Buchannon in the 2017 film Baywatch.

<i>The Razors Edge</i> (1946 film) 1946 film by Edmund Goulding

The Razor's Edge is a 1946 American drama film based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel of the same name. It stars Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, and Herbert Marshall, with a supporting cast including Lucile Watson, Frank Latimore, and Elsa Lanchester. Marshall plays Somerset Maugham. The film was directed by Edmund Goulding.

<i>The Razors Edge</i> (1984 film) 1984 romantic drama film directed by John Byrum

The Razor's Edge is a 1984 American drama film directed and co-written by John Byrum starring Bill Murray, Theresa Russell, Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott, Brian Doyle-Murray, and James Keach. The film is an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel The Razor's Edge.

<i>Forget Paris</i> 1995 American film

Forget Paris is a 1995 American romantic comedy film produced, directed, co-written by and starring Billy Crystal as an NBA referee and Debra Winger as an independent working woman whose lives are interrupted by love and marriage.

The Foursome is a 2006 American/Canadian comedy film. It is about four college friends who reconnect at their 20-year college reunion on the golf course. The film stars Kevin Dillon, John Shaw, Chris Gauthier and Paul Jarrett. The film was directed by William Dear and written by Jackson Davies, based on the play by Norm Foster.

Matt Wilson (<i>Home and Away</i>) Soap opera character

Matthew "Matt" Wilson is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by Greg Benson. He debuted on-screen during the pilot episode airing on 17 January 1988. He was introduced as a recurring character and was later promoted to a series regular. He left the series in 1991 and returned for a guest appearance in 2002.

"Reunion" is the fifth episode of the third season of American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 41st episode of the series overall. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 4, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Susan Barrett, Marceline Hugot, Robyn Lively, Janel Moloney, Diane Neal, Rip Torn, and Steve Witting.

<i>The To Do List</i> 2013 US romantic comedy film by Maggie Carey

The To Do List is a 2013 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Maggie Carey in her feature film directorial debut, starring an ensemble cast of Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, Sarah Steele, Scott Porter, Rachel Bilson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Andy Samberg, Donald Glover, Connie Britton, and Clark Gregg. The film centers on a recent high school graduate (Plaza) who feels she needs to have more sexual experiences before she starts college.

<i>Exchange Lifeguards</i> 0000 Australian film

Exchange Lifeguards known in the United States as Wet and Wild Summer!, is a 1992 Australian-American comedy film directed by Maurice Murphy and starring Christopher Atkins, Julian McMahon and Elliott Gould.

References

  1. 1 2 Bobbin, Jay (April 9, 2006). "Movie star Elliott does action flick by the book". Journal–Gazette (Final ed.). p. 16W.
  2. ↑ "Lifeguard". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Lifeguard – film review". Variety . May 26, 1976.
  4. 1 2 Frankel, David (May 4, 2012). "Cherishing Sun-Baked Cinema". The New York Times . Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Lifeguard (1976)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ Daly, Maggie (June 10, 1976). "Metropolitan". Chicago Tribune . p. a10.
  7. 1 2 Riley, Jenelle (January 7, 2019). "Sam Elliott Reflects on His Career on Eve of Hands and Feet Imprint Ceremony". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ Deans, Laurie (March 15, 1985). "LA CLIPS: Riding the waves to new success". The Globe and Mail . p. E.7.
  9. ↑ "Lifeguard". TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Erickson, Glenn (August 28, 2013). "DVD Savant Review: Lifeguard". DVD Talk . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  11. ↑ Berges, Marshall (July 30, 1978). "Home Q&A: Dorothea & Dan Petrie". Los Angeles Times . p. q24.
  12. ↑ Champlin, Charles (December 5, 1975). "The Mann Behind Chinese". Los Angeles Times. p. h1.
  13. ↑ "Lifeguard". Rotten Tomatoes .
  14. ↑ Canby, Vincent (July 24, 1976). "'Lifeguard,' About Freedom and Vanity". The New York Times. p. 12. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  15. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (June 13, 1976). "'Lifeguard' Grapples With Life". Los Angeles Times. p. 280. Retrieved July 17, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Lifeguard". Time Out . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  17. ↑ Bowman, Lisa Marie (August 27, 2021). "Cleaning Out The DVR: Lifeguard (dir by Daniel Petrie)". Through the Shattered Lens. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.