UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, March 17, 1994
11
review
Stilted drama, dark humor give 'Guarding Tess' bite
Lately, it's been hard to tell the difference between the Hollywood White House and the real thing.
Kevin Kline impersonated the president and Clint Eastwood guarded the president in summer's releases "Dave" and "In the Line of Fire." The commander in chief was caught up in a Supreme Court murder scandal in the December release "The Pelican Brief," and caricatures of Bill and Hillary Clinton grace the
cover of "Newsweek" in what looks like a movie poster for a cartoon remake of "Deliverance." Also, enough actors and actresses have been slumbering in Washington as "friends of Bill" to fill the VIP rows at the Academy Awards.
"You mean friends of Billary."
What's that, Sludge?
"Well, they're basically one person anyway. They got elected together. They work on health care together. They get involved in shady real-estate deals together."
Now, Sludge, this isn't the time or the place to air your political views.
"Well, since I don't normally have political views, I thought I'd better strike while the iron's hot."
Moviegoers stuff enough ticket stubs into cineplex ballot boxes last year to make "Dave," "In the Line of Fire" and "The Pelican Brief" studio pleasers as well as audience pleasers. So it's not a surprise that "Guarding Tess" goes back to the campaign trail.
Shirley MacLaine plays the crotchety widow of a former president, and Nicholas Cage plays the secret agent cursed with the assignment of protecting her. "Guarding Tess" is never riotously like "Dave," nor is it nail-bitingly suspenseful like "In the Line of Fire" or "The Pelican Brief." It bears more resemblance to a spunkier, quirkier "Driving Miss Daisy" with a former first lady in the back seat.
Tess Carlisle (MacLaine) has been in semiretirement exile in a home town in Ohio since her husband died of a heart attack while in office. She has live-in secret service protection 24 hours a day, which is both a source of comfort and resentment to her. Special Agent Doug Chesnic (Cage) heads the crew.
"I don't understand why good, honest taxpayers such as myself have to fork over hard-earned dollars to pay for all that junk. Isn't there something more
'important than making sure an old bat like that has golf caddies and waiters?'
Apparently not.
"Well, that ticks me off!"
Down, Sludge.
Carlisle and Chesnic bicker like brother and sister about how she never follows regulations, something she does partly to have
things her way and partly just to get his goat. He stays, and they can't get along. He walks out, and the current president tracks him down, telling him that if he screws up again he'll be guarding the White House dog. He can't win.
Gradually, however, the two begin to realize the attachment between them. This is galvanized through a forced, out-of-place attempt at suspense late in the movie.
"Yeah, what was up with that? All of a sudden she's'..."
Sludge. It's not proper reviewing etiquette to reveal plot twists to our readers. It can ruin the movie.
"Oh, come on. It's not like she turns out to be a man or anything."
Okay, so it's not exactly "The Crying Game," but let's show a little restraint. "Guarding Tess" works best when it sticks with the brisk, biting exchanges between Cage and MacLaine. MacLaine has always been able to spit venom with a touch of class, and Cage is at his funniest when he's ticked off. His explosions may not be as lively as they were in "Honeymoon in Vegas," but Cage is smarter and more straight laced in "Tess," making his laconic fury even more appealing.
"He cusses better than any other actor there is.
Except maybe Clint."
It's an art form, isn't it?
Anyway, the cheap dramatics at the end of "Guarding Tess" try to take a bullet, jumping in front of an otherwise innocent, comical and heartwarming film in an attempt to protect it from a common movie aliment: aimless drag. The problem is, the movie doesn't drag. Therefore, what is meant to provide a tidy ending abandons what carries the film: the interplay between Cage and MacLaine.
"I thought it was kinda slow at first. It turned out to be pretty funny, though. Actually, it's worth it just to hear Nicholas Cage say," @#*&**#1"*
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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