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Guarding Tess

Play trailer 2:20 Poster for Guarding Tess PG-13 1994 1h 36m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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59% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage), an agent with the Secret Service Uniformed Division, is assigned to protect former first lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Chesnic finds the job demeaning and a challenge because of Tess' high-maintenance personality and petty demands. He's desperate to get another assignment, but she insists that he remain head of her security detail, using her influence with the current president to get her way. When she's kidnapped, however, Chesnic's feelings change.
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Guarding Tess

Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 04/19/2024
3.5/4
There is an empathetic grace to Guarding Tess that’s timeless. Go to Full Review
Leonard Klady Variety 09/19/2008
The film is indeed likable. But director Hugh Wilson, who co-wrote the script with Peter Torokvei, just skims the surface of potentially rich territory. Go to Full Review
Derek Adams Time Out 06/24/2006
Cage is on best behaviour here, but he's not an especially sympathetic performer. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 08/31/2019
3/4
...an erratic yet rewarding star vehicle. Go to Full Review
Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant 06/06/2018
Maclaine's performance as Tess Carlisle, which shifts from polite witchiness to lonely, mildly boozy poignancy, adds up to the only real reason to see this potentially funny and revealing, but actually rather humdrum duodrama. Go to Full Review
Quentin Curtis Independent on Sunday 12/08/2017
Too often Guarding Tess feels like a sketch towards a movie. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Al K Nov 17 Yes, I’ve the read Rotten reviews. They are, I must admit, pretty rotten. Regardless, I find Guarding Tess as a breath of fresh air among barely-there five star reviews. I believe, as a somewhat romantic, that this could someday happen, under similarly extenuating circumstances stances. My favorite line in the movie? "And Tess, get in the Goddamn chair!" See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 14 Funny in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $26,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Farah R @Farah Feb 22 Nicholas Cage and Shirley Maclaine's chemistry saves this weird movie that starts as a quirky comedy and then abruptly becomes a thriller. The genre switch makes the narrative feel uneven, but there's enough heart to make it enjoyable. See more 03/11/2024 Cage and McClaine are a dynamic duo but the film has such drastic tonal shifts it feels imbalanced. It should’ve been more of a quirky buddy comedy. So much of these quirky and dramatic scenes don’t mesh very well with each other. See more ed w 04/12/2023 ***** cast & script, a roller coaster of smiles & tears See more John R 05/16/2022 SPOILERS This is such an odd movie. In terms of tone, it starts off as a situational comedy, morphs into a romantic (?) comedy and then becomes a crime thriller for about 15 minutes before taking on the tone of a sports movie right after they win the big game (with a hint of romantic comedy coming back in right at the end). It was extremely jarring to have the old lady kidnapped, and then a scene later have Nic Cage screaming in a hospital room that there's no time as he blows off the driver's toes one by one (the only moment in the film where Nic Cage truly shines in all of his brilliance). Then, for some reason, he isn't immediately removed from duty and gets to be the hero of digging his protectee out of the hole in the ground where she's been hidden. There's also the whole brain tumor thing. Like, way to bury the lead! And then never have it come up again. Just genuinely weird. See more Read all reviews
Guarding Tess

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Guarding Tess

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Shirley MacLaine Makes Her Getaway Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Shirley MacLaine Makes Her Getaway 1:07 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Get In The God Damn Wheelchair Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Get In The God Damn Wheelchair 1:36 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - LOL! Nicolas Cage Embarrasses Shirley MacLaine Guarding Tess: Official Clip - LOL! Nicolas Cage Embarrasses Shirley MacLaine 2:46 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Am I Secret Service or A Caddy? Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Am I Secret Service or A Caddy? 4:09 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Battle of the Stubborn A-holes Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Battle of the Stubborn A-holes 1:37 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Holy Sh*t! They BURIED HER ALIVE! Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Holy Sh*t! They BURIED HER ALIVE! 7:21 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - HAHAHA! The President Yells at Nicolas Cage! Guarding Tess: Official Clip - HAHAHA! The President Yells at Nicolas Cage! 2:26 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Nicolas Cage Goes BALLISTIC and Shoots A Toe Off! Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Nicolas Cage Goes BALLISTIC and Shoots A Toe Off! 4:33 Guarding Tess: Official Clip - How The First Lady Goes Grocery Shopping Guarding Tess: Official Clip - How The First Lady Goes Grocery Shopping 1:22 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage), an agent with the Secret Service Uniformed Division, is assigned to protect former first lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Chesnic finds the job demeaning and a challenge because of Tess' high-maintenance personality and petty demands. He's desperate to get another assignment, but she insists that he remain head of her security detail, using her influence with the current president to get her way. When she's kidnapped, however, Chesnic's feelings change.
Director
Hugh Wilson
Producer
Nancy Graham Tanen, Ned Tanen
Screenwriter
Hugh Wilson, PJ Torokvei
Production Co
TriStar Pictures, Channel Films
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$26.2M
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Surround
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