Director Tony Bill's uneven "My Bodyguard" feels lumpy, half-stewed, and occasionally very awkward...still, it's not a bad little movie and has a good cast and many good ingredients. Chris Makepeace (the moony-eyed kid from "Meatballs") is a highly intelligent, thoughtful young actor with a nice grasp of character; though his role here (as the new kid in school who immediately runs afoul of the local bully) isn't at all fresh, Makepeace does well with the over-written lines and gives the picture a nicely grounded base. Matt Dillon glowers convincingly enough as Moody, the punk with slicked-back hair (this was Dillon's third movie after "Over the Edge" and "Little Darlings", and his career was on a roll, with the future-star showing a nice sense of selection picking quirky, unusual teen-oriented films to start off with). Adam Baldwin plays the hulking, scary loner Linderman whom Makepeace pays to be his bodyguard, and their friendship doesn't feel nearly as contrived as the basic set-up, leading to an absorbing second-half. On the other hand, Makepeace's home life (with dad Martin Mull running a swanky Chicago hotel and grandma Ruth Gordon causing her usual mischief) DOES feel contrived; Bill's rhythm is really off in these instances, and if he's trying for laughs here he certainly doesn't get them. Any comedy with Ruth Gordon in the cast should be a partial hoot (at least), but Bill doesn't seem to know what to do with his adult actors and they often look anxious for help. I'm not sure what message the finale is sending out (or attempting to send out), however the kids are rarely a pain and most of them do solid work, particularly Joan Cusack as another joyful oddball. Jennifer Beals, pre-"Flashdance", has a non-speaking part as a student yet really stands out from the crowd (and Bill's camera is obviously in love with her angelic face). ** from ****
Review of My Bodyguard
My Bodyguard
(1980)
Nothing original or extraordinary, but more sensitive than it had to be...
15 September 2007