One of the earliest and somewhat more atypical of the '80s teen comedies later worked to a fine polish by John Hughes and company, "My Bodyguard" is a rough gem of a film, anchored by a solid central performance by a here-and-gone favorite of mine, Chris Makepeace.
Makepeace plays Clifford Peache, who finds himself in a new school when his father (Martin Mull) is made manager of the Ambassador East Hotel, site of the legendary Pump Room. Clifford lives a life of relative luxury without being rich himself, having no airs even if he is driven to school in a limo. He finds trouble anyway when classmate Melvin Moody (Matt Dillon) singles him out for abuse and demands for "protection money". Clifford figures there must be a better way, and finds it in sullen tough guy Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin), whom he diligently recruits for real protection services - against Moody.
What's great about "My Bodyguard" outweighs what's not great about it, but it's a surprisingly tight battle right up to the end. You have two films here: one of which (Clifford in school, dealing with Moody and Linderman) is a solid tough-nosed teen drama with some light comedic banter; the other a goofy Clifford-at-home piece featuring his father's efforts to stay employed despite the antics of a fun-loving grandma (Ruth Gordon) and a weasely assistant. Believe it or not, more people knew Martin Mull than Matt Dillon in 1980, and the film caters to this reality more than it needs to.
The result, as "moonspinner55" notes in his review, is "lumpy...and occasionally very awkward". But it was a new decade, and new rules were being made. It's not a far distance from kooky Grammy Ruth flirting up a storm at the bar to Long Duk Dong teasing Molly Ringwald in "Sixteen Candles". Unlike the rest of the '80s teen comedies that followed, there's no romantic angle here. Also different is the urban setting. Director Tony Bill gets some of his best visuals following Clifford around the city, with big overhead shots that emphasize Clifford's smallness amid the tall buildings.
Bill also had the good sense of putting Makepeace at the film's center. With his big blue eyes and wild hair, Makepeace made for a weirdly charismatic underdog in films like this and "Meatballs", his other big role. He also nicely underplays his scenes, giving Clifford a believable strength when, for example, he flatly tells Moody: "I'm not going to give you my lunch money. I've got to eat."
Even this small stand has consequences, as word of Clifford's defiance gets out and Moody and his goons work on him harder. School authorities are no help. "Don't cry wolf every time someone looks at you crosseyed," says the principal (Richard Cusack, whose daughter Joan plays a student). He tells Clifford things are less "sheltered" at this high school, a point Bill also gets across with his shots of the school's dank, ugly interior.
Baldwin definitely looks the part of Linderman, a giant cloud hanging over his head as he shuffles around the school looking haunted. With his menacing bearing, his moments with Clifford seem less edgy than they should. But the pair also help deliver the best parts of the movie, the showdowns with Moody which lead up to the big finale with Moody's own bodyguard, Mike (Hank Salas), who's one really scary dude.
You don't see many honest teen movies, and the honesty of "Bodyguard's" fight scenes especially really jump out at you. If only the film did more with the one storyline and dispensed with the other.
Makepeace plays Clifford Peache, who finds himself in a new school when his father (Martin Mull) is made manager of the Ambassador East Hotel, site of the legendary Pump Room. Clifford lives a life of relative luxury without being rich himself, having no airs even if he is driven to school in a limo. He finds trouble anyway when classmate Melvin Moody (Matt Dillon) singles him out for abuse and demands for "protection money". Clifford figures there must be a better way, and finds it in sullen tough guy Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin), whom he diligently recruits for real protection services - against Moody.
What's great about "My Bodyguard" outweighs what's not great about it, but it's a surprisingly tight battle right up to the end. You have two films here: one of which (Clifford in school, dealing with Moody and Linderman) is a solid tough-nosed teen drama with some light comedic banter; the other a goofy Clifford-at-home piece featuring his father's efforts to stay employed despite the antics of a fun-loving grandma (Ruth Gordon) and a weasely assistant. Believe it or not, more people knew Martin Mull than Matt Dillon in 1980, and the film caters to this reality more than it needs to.
The result, as "moonspinner55" notes in his review, is "lumpy...and occasionally very awkward". But it was a new decade, and new rules were being made. It's not a far distance from kooky Grammy Ruth flirting up a storm at the bar to Long Duk Dong teasing Molly Ringwald in "Sixteen Candles". Unlike the rest of the '80s teen comedies that followed, there's no romantic angle here. Also different is the urban setting. Director Tony Bill gets some of his best visuals following Clifford around the city, with big overhead shots that emphasize Clifford's smallness amid the tall buildings.
Bill also had the good sense of putting Makepeace at the film's center. With his big blue eyes and wild hair, Makepeace made for a weirdly charismatic underdog in films like this and "Meatballs", his other big role. He also nicely underplays his scenes, giving Clifford a believable strength when, for example, he flatly tells Moody: "I'm not going to give you my lunch money. I've got to eat."
Even this small stand has consequences, as word of Clifford's defiance gets out and Moody and his goons work on him harder. School authorities are no help. "Don't cry wolf every time someone looks at you crosseyed," says the principal (Richard Cusack, whose daughter Joan plays a student). He tells Clifford things are less "sheltered" at this high school, a point Bill also gets across with his shots of the school's dank, ugly interior.
Baldwin definitely looks the part of Linderman, a giant cloud hanging over his head as he shuffles around the school looking haunted. With his menacing bearing, his moments with Clifford seem less edgy than they should. But the pair also help deliver the best parts of the movie, the showdowns with Moody which lead up to the big finale with Moody's own bodyguard, Mike (Hank Salas), who's one really scary dude.
You don't see many honest teen movies, and the honesty of "Bodyguard's" fight scenes especially really jump out at you. If only the film did more with the one storyline and dispensed with the other.