The Bodyguard (1992)

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writer (WGA):

Lawrence Kasdan (written by)

Release Date:

25 November 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Never let her out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love.

Plot:

A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to a pop singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.

Plot Keywords:

Bodyguard | Singer | Pop Singer | Manager | Entourage

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Frank Farmer
Whitney Houston	...	Rachel Marron
Gary Kemp	...	Sy Spector
Bill Cobbs	...	Devaney
Ralph Waite	...	Herb Farmer
Tomas Arana	...	Portman
Michele Lamar Richards	...	Nicki
Mike Starr	...	Tony
Christopher Birt	...	Henry
DeVaughn Nixon	...	Fletcher
Gerry Bamman	...	Ray Court
Joe Urla	...	Minella
Tony Pierce	...	Dan
Charles Keating	...	Klingman
Robert Wuhl	...	Oscar Host
Debbie Reynolds	...	Debbie Reynolds
Danny Kamin	...	Thuringer (as Daniel Tucker Kamin)
Ethel Ayler	...	Emma
Sean Cheesman	...	Rory
Richard Schiff	...	Skip Thomas
Chris Connelly	...	Oscar Arrivals M.C.
Nathaniel Parker	...	Clive Healy
Bert Remsen	...	Rotary Club President
Donald Hotton	...	Reverend Hardy
Nita Whitaker	...	Oscar Singer
Patricia Healy	...	Sound Winner #1
Blumen Young	...	Sound Winner #2
Rob Sullivan	...	Best Sound Presenter
Jennifer Lyon-Buchanan	...	Best Song Winner
Stephen Shellen	...	Tom Winston
Victoria Bass	...	Woman in Green
Abbey Vine	...	Ben Shiller
Phil Redrow	...	Video Director
Joe Hess	...	Cuban Husband (as Joseph Hess)
Marta Velasco	...	Cleaning Woman
Joe Unger	...	Journalist
Gwen Seliger	...	Rachel's Valet
Susan Traylor	...	Dress Designer
Pat Van Patten	...	Woman in Restaurant
Shelley A. Hill	...	Mother at Restaurant
Amy Lou Dempsey	...	Little Girl at Restaurant
Rosie Lee Hooks	...	Thrift Shop Owner
Ken Myles	...	Sound Technician #1
Robert L. Feist	...	Sound Technician #2
Charles Bazaldua	...	TV Director
Tracye Logan	...	Girl on Stairway
Art Spaan	...	Billy Thomas
Douglas Price	...	Pantages Assistant
Ellin La Var	...	Rachel's Hairstylist
Joseph Zabrosky	...	Skip's Assistant
Rollin Jarrett	...	Miami Reporter
David M. Morano	...	Fontainebleau Barkeeper
Carla Lizzette Mejia	...	Fontainebleau Maid
Linda Thompson	...	Female Academy Member
David Foster	...	Oscar Conductor
Towanna King	...	Rachel's Assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shaun Earl	...	Dancer (uncredited)
John Hartman	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Al Kamarr	...	Guest at Dinner (uncredited)
Dan Koko	...	Cameraman in Helicopter (uncredited)
David Joseph Martinez	...	Raul Moreno-Janitor (uncredited)
L.A. Rothman	...	Autograph Seeker (uncredited)
John Tesh	...	Entertainment Tonight Host (voice) (uncredited)
Mark Thomason	...	Killer with Mask (uncredited)

Directed by
Mick Jackson

Writing credits (WGA)
Lawrence Kasdan		(written by)

Produced by
Kevin Costner	....	producer
Raymond Hernandez Jr.	....	consulting producer
Lawrence Kasdan	....	producer
Jim Wilson	....	producer

Original Music by
Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Donn Cambern
Richard A. Harris

Casting by
Elisabeth Leustig

Production Design by
Jeffrey Beecroft

Art Direction by
William Ladd Skinner		(as Wm Ladd Skinner)

Set Decoration by
Lisa Dean

Costume Design by
Susan Nininger

Makeup Department
Carrie Angland	....	makeup artist
Thomas R. Burman	....	special makeup effects
Bari Dreiband-Burman	....	special makeup effects
Elle Elliott	....	hair stylist
Ellin La Var	....	hair stylist
Medusah	....	hair stylist: Ms. Houston
Kelly Muldoon	....	personal hair artist
Valli O'Reilly	....	makeup artist: Ms. Houston
Francisco X. Pérez	....	makeup artist (as Frank Carrisosa)
Jake Garber	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Joel Harlow	....	armor sculptor (uncredited)

Production Management
Helen Pollak	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albert Cho	....	second assistant director
Bryan Dresden	....	second second assistant director
Mark Hansson	....	second second assistant director
Albert M. Shapiro	....	first assistant director (as Albert Shapiro)
Joel Wein	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Rodolfo Arriaga	....	greensman
Roy Barnes	....	set designer
Jeff Brown	....	stand-by greens
John Bullard	....	propmaker
Patrick Cassidy	....	lead man (as Patrick T. Cassidy)
Jann K. Engel	....	set designer
Irwin 'Eppy' Epstein	....	drapery
Steven Lane Ewing	....	construction foreman
Amanda J. Flick	....	set painter
Michael J. Flynn	....	set dresser
Gary Gagliardo	....	general foreman
Nancy Garber	....	art department researcher
Michael Gastaldo	....	assistant property master
Antoinette J. Gordon	....	set designer
Paul Arthur Hartman	....	on-set dresser
Hugo Herrera	....	greensman
John M. Holliday	....	construction foreman
Kelly Hudson	....	stand-by painter
Johnnie Jenkins	....	construction accountant
Allan Johnson	....	carpenter gang boss
Roger L. King	....	construction gang boss
Wayne Lindholm	....	carpenter
Terry MacDonald	....	labor foreman
Frank McEldowney	....	greensperson
Robin L. Miller	....	property master (as Robin Miller)
Francis J. Roix	....	carpenter
Chris Snyder	....	construction coordinator
Penelope Rene Stames	....	set dresser (as Penelope Stames)
Jim Stubblefield	....	assistant property master
Joseph Torres	....	construction foreman
Ron Ashmore	....	paint supervisor (uncredited)
Ted Hardwick	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Karen Virgin	....	swing gang (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael J. Benavente	....	sound editor
Matthew C. Beville	....	sound transfer
Denise Cochran	....	sound assistant
Damon Cohoon	....	sound assistant
Kay Colvin	....	cable person
Linda Corbin	....	foley mixer
Jesse Dodd	....	adr recordist (as Karol Dodd)
Joe Dorn	....	adr editor
Julia Evershade	....	supervising sound editor
Howell Gibbens	....	dialogue editor
Richard Bryce Goodman	....	production sound mixer
Richard Bryce Goodman	....	sound designer
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound editor
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Oscar Mitt	....	assistant sound
Donald Ortiz	....	sound assistant
Mark Pappas	....	foley editor
Dave Reitzas	....	pre-record engineer
Steve Richardson	....	foley editor
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Katie Rowe	....	foley artist
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Simpson	....	supervising sound editor
Mychal Smith	....	boom operator
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hugo Weng	....	dialogue editor
David A. Whittaker	....	sound editor
David Behle	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Rodney M. Byrd	....	special effects (as Rodney Byrd)
Burt Dalton	....	special effects coordinator
Dale Ettema	....	special effects
Donald Myers	....	special effects
Eric Rylander	....	special effects

Stunts
Jay Amor	....	utility stunts
Tom Bahr	....	utility stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt double: Kevin Costner, knife thrower
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Brooke Becker	....	stunts
William H. Burton	....	stunts
Jeffrey J. Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Jeff Dashnaw)
Ousaun Elam	....	stunts (as Ousan Elam)
Mickey Giacomazzi	....	stunts
Rusty Hendrickson	....	stunts
Deja Howell	....	stunts
Norman Howell	....	stunt coordinator (as Norman L. Howell)
Norman Howell	....	stunt double: Kevin Costner
Henry Kingi Jr.	....	stunts
Henry Kingi	....	stunts
Dan Koko	....	stunts
Joel Kramer	....	stunts
Joyce Larkin	....	stunt double: Whitney Houston
Barbara Lee-Belmonte	....	stunts
Vinita McClennon	....	stunts
Bobby Porter	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunts
William Washington	....	stunts (as Billy Washington)
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunts
David Webster	....	stunts
John Ashker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Ary	....	chief lighting technician
Scott Blynder	....	vtr operator
Rick Davis	....	additional key grip
R. Michael De Chellis	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as R. Michael DeChellis)
Tim Dunford	....	second assistant camera (as Timothy Dunford)
Blair Forward	....	video assist operator
Michael Genne	....	camera operator
Ben Glass	....	still photographer
Diana Goodman	....	playback operator
Johnny Gutierrez	....	rigging gaffer (as John Gutierrez)
Gerald A. King	....	best boy grip (as Jerry King)
J. Steven Latham	....	additional second assistant camera (as J. Steve Latham)
Marc Margulies	....	additional first assistant camera (as Marc J. Margulies)
Dick Montagne	....	additional first assistant camera
Lane Russell	....	additional second assistant camera
P. Scott Sakamoto	....	Steadicam operator
Mike Schwake	....	dolly grip
Steven H. Smith	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Steve Smith)
Stephen St. John	....	Steadicam operator
Owen Stephens	....	rigging electrician
Baird Steptoe	....	additional first assistant camera
Michael D. Weldon	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Weldon)
Joe L. Wright	....	grip
Bill Young	....	key grip
Paul Jacobsen	....	rigger (uncredited)
Paul Jacobsen	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Bruce D. Spellman	....	second grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Susan Brown	....	casting associate
Jimmy Jue	....	extras casting
Mariann H.W. Lee	....	extras casting
Cash Oshman	....	crowd casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kimberly Guenther Durkin	....	costume supervisor (as Kimberly Guenther)
Steve Ellsworth	....	set costumer
Christopher Gilman	....	wardrobe: specialty costumes
Barbara Gordon	....	assistant costume designer
Jane Kilkenny	....	costume construction
Marilyn Madsen	....	costume manufacturing foreperson
Janet Sobel	....	set costumer
Valarie Wise	....	costumer: Miami (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mitch Harris	....	assistant editor
Leslie Jones	....	assistant editor
Debra Kahn Tolchinsky	....	assistant editor
Jane Kass	....	first assistant editor
Bob Putynkowski	....	color timer
Michael Rafferty	....	assistant editor (as Michael J. Rafferty)

Music Department
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist
Maureen Crowe	....	music supervisor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Art Ford	....	music consultant
David Foster	....	song producer
Darrell Hall	....	music editor
Ronn Huff	....	music arranger: string arrangements
Cliff Kohlweck	....	music editor (as Clif Kohlweck)
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
William Ross	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gina August	....	driver
Hugh Kelly	....	driver
Jonathan A. Rosenfeld	....	transportation co-captain
David Siegel	....	transportation coordinator
Bob Smart	....	transportation
Dwight Wood	....	transportation captain
David Diaz	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Brian Accetta	....	staff assistant
David Antell	....	personal trainer
Gregory Avellone	....	associate to the producers
Steph Benseman	....	location manager
Maxine Bergen	....	fill-in script supervisor
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	pre-record technician
Sean Cheesman	....	choreographer
Stephanie Claxton	....	assistant production accountant
Lisa Cole-Wertchafter	....	location contact: Florida
Allison Conant	....	associate to the producers
Steve Cowie	....	staff assistant
Robyn Crawford	....	executive assistant: Whitney Houston (as Robyn D. Crawford)
Caroline Digiulio	....	staff assistant
Darlene Dillinger	....	dance double: Whitney Houston
Brook Durham	....	staff assistant
Janette Evans	....	accounting clerk
Scott Giegler	....	crew: Video Image
Karen Golden	....	script supervisor
Edward Gorsuch	....	assistant: Jim Wilson
Joseph Greco	....	staff assistant (as Joe Greco)
Al Guthery	....	helicopter pilot
Michael Haro	....	assistant location manager
Susan J. Hellmann	....	staff assistant (as Susan Hellmann)
Tom Hoeck	....	first aid
David Hofflich	....	supervisor: Video Image (as David M. Hofflich)
Elston Howard	....	staff assistant
Stephen G. Howard	....	technical supervisor: Video Image
Debra Hubbard	....	body double: Whitney Houston
Kevan Jenson	....	crew: Video Image
Julie Jones	....	production accountant
Elayne Keratsis	....	coordinator: Florida
Elayne Keratsis	....	staff assistant
Greg Kozikowski	....	crew: Video Image
Robert Lamkin	....	caterer
Paul LaZebnik	....	production office staff
David Linck	....	unit publicist
Suzanne Lutz	....	staff assistant
Maria M. Machado	....	production office staff (as Maria Manuelo Machado)
Kevin Madeja	....	videowall engineering crew
Moira McLaughlin	....	assistant: Kevin Costner
Sherry McManus	....	staff assistant
Leslie Moraes	....	assistant location manager
Victor Nelli Jr.	....	crew: Video Image
Kris Nielsen	....	assistant production associate
Larry Potoker	....	crew: Video Image
Eric Rivera	....	craft service
Sol Rivera	....	craft service
Christopher Sliney	....	production office staff
Peter Smith	....	videowall engineering crew
Rick Soule	....	videowall engineering crew
Sara Spring	....	production associate
Tom Stramat	....	pilot
James Thelen	....	videowall engineering crew
Mark Thomason	....	photo double
Mark Thomason	....	stand-in
Mark Thomason	....	stand-in: Kevin Costner
Anne Trop	....	assistant: Mick Jackson
Alison Troy	....	staff assistant
Joseph A. Unsinn	....	crew: Video Image (as Joe Unsinn)
Ken Wada	....	staff assistant
Bill Warren	....	helicopter pilot
Amy Jo Weinstein	....	production office staff (as Amy Weinstein)
Lynne Whiteford	....	production office staff
Tim Wilson	....	location contact: Tahoe
Joseph Zabrosky	....	staff assistant (as Joe Zabrosky)
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)
Michael Feder	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Tony Gardner	....	special properties (uncredited)
Tom Lent	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Kasdan Pictures
• Tig Productions
• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1995) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1992) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1992) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1992) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1993) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1993) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1993) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1993) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1993) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1995) (2004) (2006) (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• Sub (2009) (2010) (Finland) (TV)
• SubTV (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Varus Video
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• Alterian

Other Companies

• Arista Records  soundtrack
• Big Crowds  crowd casting
• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animal training
• Cenex Casting  extras casting
• Central Casting  extras casting
• For Stars Catering  catering
• Gavin De Becker Inc.  security advisor
• La-La Land Records  soundtrack (limited edition)
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Pacific Title  titles
• Pacific Titles & Optical  opticals
• Peter Weireter and Associates  security advisor
• Precision Film Cutting  negative cutting
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 (1992) | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (cut version) | UK:15 | USA:R | UK:15 (cut) | Iceland:L | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2004) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | South Korea:15 | France:Unrated | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:PG | Sweden:15 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (2012) (Blu-ray)

Filming Locations:

10231 Charing Cross Road, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Kasdan Pictures

Trivia:

Whitney Houston suffered a miscarriage during production and missed a couple of weeks of production recovering.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Camera reflected in the window of the hotel room.

Quotes:

Rachel:Will you grab that jacket for me? The red one, please?
Frank:I'm here to keep you alive, not help you shop.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Fresh Meat: Episode #2.7" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Run to You

Adequate Thriller-Romance

I was interested to note from your "Trivia" page that it was originally intended to make this film in the seventies with Steve McQueen and Diana Ross in the leading roles, but that the film never got made because it was "too controversial". The cause of the controversy was presumably the mixed-race love-affair between Frank and Rachel, as there is little else in the script that might upset anyone. The story centres around Frank Farmer, a former Secret Service agent now working as a private bodyguard. He is hired by Rachel Marron, an African-American pop star, who has been receiving death threats, presumed to come from a mad stalker. Frank's obsessive concern with security initially alienates both Rachel and some of the other members of her entourage, but, after a number of misunderstandings, he becomes first her friend and then her lover. He, however, is unhappy about becoming emotionally involved with a client and ends the affair. He would also like to end his employment with Rachel, but she is becoming genuinely frightened for her own safety, and he agrees to stay on to protect her when it is clear that she is in danger from an unexpected source.

When I first saw this film in the cinema I disliked it. I was a great admirer of Kevin Costner's performance in "Dances with Wolves", and I went to see "The Bodyguard" in the hope that it would be a film of similar scope and vision. Of course, it isn't, but then it was never intended to be. Having seen it again recently on television, I was rather more impressed than I had been the first time. There is a respectable performance from Costner as Frank, a man who on the surface seems cold and detached but who hides his emotions under the surface- not only his love for Rachel, but also his feelings of guilt stemming from the assassination attempt on President Reagan in 1981. Frank was not on duty at the time- in fact, he was attending his mother's funeral- but he cannot escape from the thought that, if he had been present, he could have prevented the President from being shot.

Whitney Houston is a beautiful woman, with a beautiful voice which was shown off to good advantage in this film. Her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" is one of the most haunting ballads I know, far superior to the Dolly Parton original. Her character is supposed to be an actress as well as a singer- the finale actually takes place as she receives a "Best Actress" award at the Oscars. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that Whitney will ever emulate her alter ego in this respect, as her acting is certainly not in the same class as her voice. She seems to have too small an emotional range, and it is no surprise that her subsequent film career has been so patchy. "The Bodyguard" is a perfectly adequate thriller-romance, if at times too slow-moving, but I felt that it might have been better with a more commanding female lead. 6/10