Guarding Tess

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2:20

Guarding Tess

PG-13

1994

1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

04/19/2024

3.5/4

There is an empathetic grace to Guarding Tess that’s timeless.

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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.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

06/24/2006

Cage is on best behaviour here, but he's not an especially sympathetic performer.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

08/31/2019

3/4

...an erratic yet rewarding star vehicle.

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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.

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Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

12/08/2017

Too often Guarding Tess feels like a sketch towards a movie.

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Beatriz M.

@Betbib 5d

Great movie from the 90’s. Timeless. Very entertaining and funny

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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!"

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 14

Funny in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $26,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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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.

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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.

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ed w

04/12/2023

***** cast & script, a roller coaster of smiles & tears

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Hugh Wilson

Director

Shirley MacLaine

Tess Carlisle

Nicolas Cage

Doug Chesnic

Austin Pendleton

Earl Fowler

Edward Albert

Barry Carlisle

James Rebhorn

Howard Schaeffer

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Shirley MacLaine Makes Her Getaway

1:07

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Get In The God Damn Wheelchair

1:36

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - LOL! Nicolas Cage Embarrasses Shirley MacLaine

2:46

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Am I Secret Service or A Caddy?

4:09

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Battle of the Stubborn A-holes

1:37

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Holy Sh*t! They BURIED HER ALIVE!

7:21

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!

4:33

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - How The First Lady Goes Grocery Shopping

1:22

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TRAILER

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Guarding Tess: Trailer 1

2:20

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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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