The Guardian (1990 film)
| The Guardian | |
|---|---|
Promotional film poster
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| Directed by | William Friedkin |
| Produced by | Joe Wizan |
| Screenplay by |
Stephen Volk William Friedkin Dan Greenburg |
| Based on |
The Nanny by Dan Greenburg |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jack Hues |
| Cinematography | John A. Alonzo |
| Edited by | Seth Flaum |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $17,037,887 |
The Guardian is a 1990 American horror film co-written and directed by William Friedkin. It stars Jenny Seagrove as a mysterious nanny who is hired by new parents, played by Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell, to care for their infant son; the couple soon discovers the nanny to be a Hamadryad whose previous clients' children went missing under her care. It is based upon the novel The Nanny by American novelist Dan Greenburg.
Director Sam Raimi was originally attached to the project before dropping out to direct Darkman instead. Heavily marketed as director Friedkin's first foray into the horror genre since 1973's The Exorcist, the film had a troubled production, with script undergoing numerous changes that continued well into the shooting process.
The film was released in the spring of 1990, and was met with generally unfavorable critical reception, later making Roger Ebert's "most hated films" list. A cable television version of the film was credited to "Alan Von Smithee", indicating that Friedkin wished to disassociate himself from its release. Although a critical and commercial failure, the film later found an audience as a cult movie.
The opening cards explain that ancient druids worshiped trees, sometimes offering them human sacrifices. Some of these trees were connected with evil.
At the Sheridan home, Molly and Allan Sheridan head off on a trip, leaving their two children in the care of their nanny, Diana Julian. Once alone and with the children sleeping, Diane kidnaps the daughter. Molly realizes she left her glasses at the house, and upon returning she sees that her daughter is missing. Diana, out in the forest, approaches a giant, old, gnarled tree, and holds up the baby, which then disappears from her hands. The roots of the tree show the baby's face, as it has been sacrificed to keep the tree alive. As Diana sits on the ground near a pool of water, her reflection disappears, leaving that of a growling wolf.
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Wikipedia