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Guarding Tess Photos

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Movie Info

Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage), an agent with the Secret Service Uniformed Division, is assigned to protect former first lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Chesnic finds the job demeaning and a challenge because of Tess' high-maintenance personality and petty demands. He's desperate to get another assignment, but she insists that he remain head of her security detail, using her influence with the current president to get her way. When she's kidnapped, however, Chesnic's feelings change.

Rating:

PG-13
Genre:

comedy, drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Hugh Wilson
Producer:

Nancy Graham Tanen, Ned Tanen
Release Date (Streaming):

Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA):

$26.2M
Runtime:

1h 36m
Production Co:

TriStar Pictures
Sound Mix:

Surround

Cast & Crew

Shirley MacLaine
Tess Carlisle

Nicolas Cage
Doug Chesnic

Austin Pendleton
Earl Fowler

Edward Albert
Barry Carlisle

James Rebhorn
Howard Schaeffer

Richard Griffiths
Frederick

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Critic Reviews for Guarding Tess

All Critics (35) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (15)

Quote not available.

September 7, 2011 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
The film is indeed likable. But director Hugh Wilson, who co-wrote the script with Peter Torokvei, just skims the surface of potentially rich territory.

September 19, 2008

Leonard Klady
Variety
Cage is on best behaviour here, but he's not an especially sympathetic performer.

June 24, 2006 | Full Review…

Derek Adams
Time Out
Mr. Cage, once again sounding mock-suave and Elvisy, makes the most of his character's fragile cool.

May 20, 2003

Janet Maslin
New York Times
What counts is the comic tension between MacLaine and Cage. It's so well done, it doesn't matter how dumb things get.

January 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Like the role itself, Cage is clearly in service here to a fabled but fading star, and he seldom slips on that second banana.

January 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Richard Harrington
Washington Post
...an erratic yet rewarding star vehicle.

August 31, 2019 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Maclaine's performance as Tess Carlisle, which shifts from polite witchiness to lonely, mildly boozy poignancy, adds up to the only real reason to see this potentially funny and revealing, but actually rather humdrum duodrama.

June 6, 2018 | Full Review…

Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
Too often Guarding Tess feels like a sketch towards a movie.

December 8, 2017 | Full Review…

Quentin Curtis
Independent on Sunday
We have seen it before: The movie throws together two individuals (Shirley Maclaine and Nicolas Cage) who could not have been more different and then shows us how they learn to respect each other.

July 12, 2011 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Competently executed and entertaining, chiefly due to the first-rate performances of stars Cage and MacLaine.

September 19, 2008 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Straightforward but enjoyable comedy that sees Cage and MacLaine going at it hammer and tongs -- although not in that sense.

September 19, 2008 | Full Review…

Film4

View All Critic Reviews (35)

Audience Reviews for Guarding Tess

May 07, 2014

Nick Cage is solid in it as a incensed bodyguard driven mad by the crazy whims of the ex-first lady. Shirley MacLaine is great in it as the feisty & hard to deal with battle axe. A predictable friendship eventually forms. Family Viewing.

Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
Feb 24, 2014

The premise of the movie (differing opinions between a headstrong political widow and her secret service agents) is good. But the movie struggles in the details - especially in last scenes of the movie.

Red L Super Reviewer
Dec 02, 2009

Guarding Tess is such a Funny movie. A old lady driving a young man Nuts. lol

Wahida K Super Reviewer
Mar 07, 2009

Wonderful, low key tale told from a very different perspective. Great role for Shirley MacLaine (my idol!). (review to be fcontinued)

Teresa S Super Reviewer