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 | bodyguard | high school | bully | humiliation | 

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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:

Bodyguard

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$178,641, 13 July 1980, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$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

Shelley is shown without a necklace in the restaurant, but wearing a silver necklace in the junkyard.

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Quotes

Clifford Peache: Will you be my bodyguard? I'll pay you fifty cents every day. I'll do your homework for you. I'm pretty smart.

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Connections

Referenced in Stalker: Pilot (2014)

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Soundtracks

She's a Latin from Manhattan
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Sung by Ruth Gordon in the hotel kitchen

User Reviews

My guardian angel

Tony Bill's "My Bodyguard" seems to be a film that has been forgotten. Thanks to the Fox cable channel, it turned up the other night. It doesn't seem possible this movie is twenty five years old already. Not having seen it when it was released, we took a chance and it paid off handsomely.

The film addresses the bullying in schools, a nightmare for those students that appear weak, or easy marks for these predators to make a name for themselves among their peers, at the others expense. Unfortunately, no one pays attention to the ones being abused and Hollywood, in general, takes the bully's side in many occasions, at the expense of the nerd, or the ones suffering the harassment.

"My Bodyguard" shows some of today's familiar faces as they looked in those years. Some have gone to careers of their own, such as Matt Dillon, Adam Baldwin, Joan Cusack, George Wendt, and the uncredited Jennifer Beals, who has no speaking role.

When Clifford Peache, the son of a hotel manager in Chicago, changes schools, he meets his worst nightmare: Melvin Moody. Melvin terrorizes kids, especially those young and vulnerable. Clifford is the new target for Melvin to bring down and humiliate if he doesn't agree to do whatever he is told. Rick Linderman, the tall and strange guy in Cliff's class is the perfect candidate to be engaged as a body guard for all the kids being abused. In fact, Rick teaches Clifford a lesson when at the end he has to face the mean Melvin, who proves to be a coward, as all bullies are.

"My Bodyguard" is an entertaining film to watch thanks to the great performance by Chris Makepeace, who makes a great Clifford. Ruth Gordon, who plays Clifford's grandmother, has some comic moments. Martin Mull is seen as Cliff's father and John Houseman appears briefly as the man who is charmed by Grandma Peache.

Tony Bill shows he could deliver a movie that seems to be timeless.