My Bodyguard (1980)

When a boy comes to a new school and gets harassed by a bully, he acquires the services of the school's most feared kid as a bodyguard.

Director:

Tony Bill

Writer:

Alan Ormsby

Stars:

Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Makepeace	...	Clifford
Adam Baldwin	...	Linderman
Matt Dillon	...	Moody
Paul Quandt	...	Carson
Hank Salas	...	Mike
Joan Cusack	...	Shelley
Dean R. Miller	...	Hightower
Tim Reyna	...	Koontz
Richard Bradley	...	Dubrow
Denise Baske	...	Leilani
Vicky Nelson	...	Freddy
Tom Rielly	...	Reissman
Paul Charbonneau	...	Allen
Laura Salenger	...	Girl
Bert Hoddinott	...	Burt

Storyline

Clifford Peache is the new kid in Lake View High School. Faced with all the stress that role entails he makes his situation worse by insulting Moody, the leader of a group of toughs who extort lunch money from kids. These punks pretend to be bodyguards for the kids to protect them from Linderman who, it is rumored, killed his brother in cold blood. Clifford befriends the sullen Linderman and hires him as his bodyguard. When Moody ups the ante, Linderman must decide whether fighting for what he believes in, with his haunted past and image, is justified.

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Plot Keywords:

bicycle | juvenile delinquency | bodyguard | blood | high school | 

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Taglines:

I'm tired of being terrorized in the toilets, chased after school, and shaken down for my lunch money. Will you be my bodyguard?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Bodyguard

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$178,641, 13 July 1980

Gross USA:

$22,482,952

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,482,952

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Market Street Productions, Melvin Simon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first of two movies with actor Hank Salas filmed on Location in Chicago. He would do so again in Doctor Detroit (1983). Both movies also had a protagonist named Clifford.

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Goofs

Ketchup/Mustard stains are inconsistent from the restaurant to the junkyard. (Dubrow's sunglasses and hair).

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Quotes

Melvin Moody: Hey, Shelly. Do you want to go to the movies?
Shelley: Sure.
Melvin Moody: Okay, have a good time while you're there.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Bye Bye Nerdy (2001)

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Soundtracks

Serenade for Strings in G Major, K. 525 (Eine kleine Nachtmusik)
(uncredited)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Played by the kids in the music class in the gym

User Reviews

Moving story of friendship and adolescence

Of all the teen flicks that came out of the 1980s, MY BODYGUARD is one of three that stands out as an intelligent and moving study of American adolescence that doesn't now look like a dated genre piece(THE BREAKFAST CLUB and SAY ANYTHING are the others). Sure, there's shaggy hair and all the other things that date the movie fashion-wise, but the characters shine with humanity and poignancy, and that makes the movie memorable. In fact, some could convincingly argue that the movie is all about the characters, people that movie audiences will care about. Add to that the situation of being the new kid and trying to survive the jungle of high school(something most every American teen can relate to), and you have a great little film. Chris Makepeace is the new kid who tranfers to a urban Chicago highschool from a private school and immediately runs afoul of school bully Matt Dillon. Searching for a solution to his predicament, Makepeace enlists Adam Baldwin, a silent, hulking classmate with a mysterious past, to protect him. What unfolds is a rare friendship between Makepeace and Baldwin, as we learn more about Baldwin's character and some terrible secrets he holds. Whether intentional or not, the film sends a message that the people we encounter everyday are just that, people with feelings and problems and not just the labels or stereotypes we assign them. Makepeace needs Baldwin for protection from Dillon, and Baldwin needs Makepeace's friendship to rescue him from the isolation he has endured as a result of past experiences. One unusual aspect of the movie is that several of the adult characters are sympathetic or even quirky, a rarity in teen films. Ruth Gordon shines as Makepeace's feisty grandmother, and Martin Mull puts in a turn as the bumbling but well-meaning father. And, unlike the nihilistic teens of today's current crop of movies, the teens(with the exception of Dillon and his cronies)are likable, friendly, and positive. They readily accept Makepeace and then Baldwin, after they see that the rumors about him are just that. This gives the movie a positive feel to it.

Definitely a winner. If you've ever been a teenager, wondered if you would belong, attended a high school or had to do battle with a bully, you'll find something to like about MY BODYGUARD.