Guarding Tess
| Guarding Tess | |
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Original poster
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| Directed by | Hugh Wilson |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Michael Convertino |
| Cinematography | Brian J. Reynolds |
| Edited by | Sidney Levin |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
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Release date
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March 11, 1994 |
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Running time
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95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $27,058,304 |
Guarding Tess is a 1994 American comedy-drama film starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage, directed by Hugh Wilson. MacLaine plays a fictional former First Lady protected by an entourage of Secret Service agents led by one she continually exasperates (Cage).
The film is set in Somersville, Ohio (played by Parkton, Maryland) and nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1995 (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical: Shirley MacLaine).
Doug Chesnic is a Secret Service agent who takes great pride in his job, performing his duties with the utmost professionalism. His assignment for the last three years has been a severe test of his patience. Doug is in charge of a team stationed in Ohio to protect Tess Carlisle, the widow of a former U.S. President.
Tess is well known for her diplomatic and philanthropic work, but seems to regard Doug less as a security officer and more as a domestic servant—not unlike her chauffeur, Earl, or her nurse, Frederick.
Doug regards it as beneath his professional dignity to perform little chores around the house or bring Tess her breakfast in bed. Tess orders him to do so, even to fetch her ball during a round of golf. Any time Doug defies her, Tess contacts a close friend - the current President of the United States – to express her displeasure. The annoyed President then phones Doug.
Doug's three-year hitch with Tess comes to an end, so he is eager to be given a more exciting and challenging assignment. But Tess has decided that she wants him to stay, and, as usual, she gets her way.
Their bickering continues, even in the car. Alone there with Earl for a minute, Tess orders him to drive off, stranding her bodyguards. A humiliated Doug must phone the local sheriff—not for the first time—to be on the lookout for her. He fires Earl when they return, but Tess manages to countermand that decision as well.
After she returns from a hospital checkup, Tess watches old television footage of her husband's funeral, concentrating on a momentary glimpse of Doug among the mourners, overcome with grief. It is an indication that perhaps she keeps Doug around because she values his loyalty to her husband and his company. She makes an effort to get on his good side, sharing a drink and a late-night conversation. Morale for the agents improved when Tess tells them that the President would be visiting her late husband's presidential library, but his subsequent cancellation lowered her spirits.
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Wikipedia