Kevin Costner is back at the cinemas with his highly underrated western epic Horizon, but this week it’s a lookback to his action-packed Coast Guard drama, The Guardian.
Logline
Senior Chief Ben Randall is a legend in the Coast Guard. With the most saves of any rescue swimmer, Randall works on the edge so that others may live. When a tragic accident kills his crew during a routine rescue, Randall is forced to change gears, and takes a post training candidates at the Coast Guard A school for rescue swimmers.
When Randall meets the new class of swimmers, he sees an eager and arrogant prospect in the high school swim champ and wannabe hero, Jake Fischer. Their first meeting is less than positive, and as training commences, Randall exerts his authority over the class, and brings his own brand of training to the group.
As the weeks go by and the candidates drop out, Fischer endures and meets a local girl named Emily. A relationship between the two blossoms. They connect but know there is limitations to their bond. Fischer seeks help in trying to understand Randall, and while Emily offers perspective, it takes Randall’s willingness to learn for their teacher student relationship to thaw.
Randall starts to understand and helps to motivate Fischer, graduation approaches, and with the final crew of candidates including Fischer, Randall passes the group to their new posts. With no time to stay for graduation, the Senior Chief is back on duty, and while he is fortunate to be paired with the newly graduated rescue swimmer Jake Fischer, Randall realizes that it is time to hang up his swim fins.
In the twilight of his career with the new blood taking over his coveted post, Randall must decide if he has the energy and drive for one more swim, especially when Jake needs help.
High Praise
Kevin Costner is excellent. He is clearly the elder statesman of the film, but Costner’s presence, vitality, and gravitas makes the viewer easily believe he is the legendary Ben Randall Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Costner’s personality and gruffness makes him likable, and easily holds the attention of the viewer. A lesser actor would have made the character a sideshow.
Director Andrew Davis brings style and grit to a story that could easily be a tv movie. The action is in the pacing of the tale, and Davis has a long history of skill in helping to craft edge of the seat thrillers.
Melissa Sagemiller is wonderful. She is talented, a bright light, and wonderful gem for the film. I wish she was in more.
What Were They Thinking
I needed more screen time for Neal McDonough, John Heard, and Clancy Brown. Three incredible supporting actors that always deserve to be on the screen.
Sela Ward had a thankless role in the film and should have been used in a better way than just playing the unhappy wife trope.
The ending was predictable. I knew from the first five minutes what would happen. I wish they had used the alternate ending. It would have been a surprise given the narrative of the story.
Backlot Knowledge
- The movie was nominated for two Teen Choice Awards.
- The Bryan Adams song ‘Never Let Go’ won a Satellite Award for Best Original Song.
- The film opened to $18 million on its first weekend.
- David Dobkin was originally set to direct the film until being replaced by Davis.
- Dule Hill has a small role as one of Fischer’s classmates at A School.
- The opening sequence that gets Randall’s crew killed is inspired by a true-life incident.
- The clips of real-life rescues that are shown in the training classroom scenes were supplied to Disney by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
- One of the students in the training class is Olympic gold medalist Mark Gangloff.
- The ending of the film was originally replaced because the writers thought it might be too upsetting for the audience, so they replaced it with another ending where Fischer saves Randall. Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook liked the original ending, so that’s what the filmmakers went with. I personally disagree with Cook’s choice.
Critical Response:
{Snub-Skip this Film, Overexposed-Desperate for Something to Watch, Clapper-A Perfect Film For Any Device, Magic Hour– You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Award Worthy– This Film is Cinema.}
While I have certain reservations about the film, The Guardian is a movie to see on the big screen because of the epic ocean scenes. Kevin Costner holds the audience’s attention, and this film is a hidden gem in his filmography.
The Guardian gets the Magic Hour award.
Bill’s Hot Take
Ashton Kutcher is great in the film, but I think the movie would have been a bigger success had someone else (Jake Gyllenhaal or Heath Ledger) played Jake Fischer.
Best Quotable Line
“Getting old isn’t bad. It’s earned.”
Call Sheet
- Kevin Costner as Ben Randall
- Ashton Kutcher as Jake Fischer
- Sela Ward as Helen Randall
- Melissa Sagemiller as Emily
- Clancy Brown as Capt. William Hadley
Production Team:
Directed by Andrew Davis
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Beacon Pictures / Contrafilm
Written by Ron L. Brinkerhoff
Release Date: September 29. 2006
Budget: $70 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $55,011,732
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $94,973,540
Coming Attractions
Next week, a look back at Steven Spielberg’s World War I drama, War Horse