| My Bodyguard | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Tony Bill |
| Produced by | Melvin Simon |
| Written by | Alan Ormsby |
| Starring | Chris Makepeace Adam Baldwin Matt Dillon Martin Mull Ruth Gordon |
| Music by | Dave Grusin |
| Cinematography | Michael D. Margulies |
| Editing by | Stu Linder |
| Studio | Melvin Simon Productions |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million[1] |
| Box office | $22,482,952 |
My Bodyguard is a 1980 comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Tony Bill (his directorial debut), and written by Alan Ormsby. The film stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Martin Mull, and Ruth Gordon.
The film was the début of both Baldwin and an uncredited Jennifer Beals, and was Joan Cusack's first major film.
Contents |
Plot [edit]
Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace) lives in an upscale Chicago luxury hotel with his father (Martin Mull), who manages the hotel, and his eccentric but loving grandmother (Ruth Gordon). Clifford spends his nights with his family relaxing on the rooftop patio and spying on the neighbors through a telescope. He is the new kid at Lake View High School, where he arrives in a hotel limousine.
Clifford becomes a target of abuse from a bully, Melvin Moody (Matt Dillon). Moody and his gang of thugs, Dubrow (Richard Bradley), Koontz (Tim Reyna), and Hightower (Dean R. Miller), regularly terrorize and extort lunch money from other smaller, timid students, allegedly to protect them from a school outcast, the large, sullen Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin). According to school legend, Ricky has killed several people, including his own little brother. A teacher (Kathryn Grody) tells Clifford that the only violence she's aware of from Ricky's past occurred when his younger brother died accidentally while playing with a gun.
Clifford works up the nerve to approach Ricky and asks him to be his bodyguard. Ricky refuses, but the boys do become friends after Ricky saves Clifford from a beating by Moody and his gang. Ricky distances himself emotionally as he silently deals with emotional issues over the death of his 9-year-old brother a year earlier. Ricky has been rebuilding a motorcycle that he cherishes. The friendship between the two boys is strengthened as Clifford helps Ricky search junkyards for a hard-to-find cylinder for the motorcycle's engine.
As Clifford, Ricky, and a few friends from school, including fellow victim, Carson (Paul Quandt), Shelley (Joan Cusack), and an unnamed girl (Jennifer Beals in an uncredited role), eat lunch in Lincoln Park, Moody and his gang approach. Moody has enlisted the help of an older bodybuilder named Mike (Hank Salas), someone he announces is his bodyguard. Mike intimidates and physically abuses the younger Ricky, and vandalizes his motorcycle before Moody pushes it into the lagoon. Ricky runs away. He later comes to Clifford to ask for money, ostensibly to pay for pulling the motorcycle out of the lagoon. Feeling used, Clifford follows him and the two argue before Ricky reveals to Clifford that he accidentally shot his brother while babysitting him at home. He is overwhelmed with guilt and remorse, and not the tough guy he seems.
Moody and Mike later return to the park to further bully the other children. Unbeknownst to them, Ricky is also there retrieving his motorcycle. As Ricky attempts to leave with the bike, Moody notices and announces that the motorcycle now belongs to him. Ricky refuses the demand, so Moody summons Mike and the two begin to fight. Ricky gains the upper hand before Moody jumps on his back. Seeing his friend in trouble, Clifford manages to pull Moody off. Ricky beats Mike, knocks him unconscious, and then turns his attention to Moody. But instead of fighting Clifford's battle for him, he urges Clifford to fight Moody himself while coaching him. Clifford is afraid, but when he finally lands a solid punch and breaks Moody's nose, winning the fight, he finally realizes that Moody the bully is weak and cowardly. Ricky takes his bike back and as the children all leave together, he jokingly asks Clifford to be his bodyguard.
Cast [edit]
- Chris Makepeace as Clifford Peache
- Adam Baldwin as Ricky Linderman
- Matt Dillon as Melvin Moody
- Martin Mull as Mr. Peache
- Ruth Gordon as Gramma Peache
- Paul Quandt as Carson
- Joan Cusack as Shelley
- Hank Salas as Mike
- Richard Bradley as Dubrow
- Tim Reyna as Koontz
- Dean R. Miller as Hightower
- Kathryn Grody as Ms. Jump
- John Houseman as Dobbs
- Craig Richard Nelson as Griffith
- Jennifer Beals (uncredited) as Clifford's friend
- George Wendt as an Engineer
Release and reception [edit]
My Bodyguard opened on July 11, 1980, in limited release, and wide release on August 15, 1980. In its limited weekend, the film opened at #3 with $178,641 and went on to gross $22,482,953 in the United States.[2]
The film ranked #45 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.[3]
The film received generally positive reviews, garnering an 85% 'fresh' rating and the consensus "T. Bill debuts as an affectionate director, keenly aware of growing pains," on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[4]
References [edit]
- ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p259
- ^ "My Bodyguard (1980)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
- ^ "Head of the Class: The 50 Best High School Movies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
- ^ My Bodyguard at Rotten Tomatoes
External links [edit]
- My Bodyguard at the Internet Movie Database
- My Bodyguard at AllRovi
- My Bodyguard at Box Office Mojo
- My Bodyguard at Rotten Tomatoes
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