The Guardian (1990)

A young couple with a newborn baby don't realize that the nanny they hired is a magical nymph who sacrifices infants to an evil tree.

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Dan Greenburg (novel), Stephen Volk (screenplay)

Stars:

Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown, Carey Lowell

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jenny Seagrove	...	Camilla
Dwier Brown	...	Phil Sterling
Carey Lowell	...	Kate Sterling
Brad Hall	...	Ned Runcie
Miguel Ferrer	...	Ralph Hess
Natalija Nogulich	...	Molly Sheridan (as Natalia Nogulich)
Pamela Brull	...	Gail Krasno
Gary Swanson	...	Allan Sheridan
Jack David Walker	...	Punk
Willy Parsons	...	Punk
Frank Noon	...	Punk
Theresa Randle	...	Arlene Russell
Xander Berkeley	...	Detective
Ray Reinhardt	...	Dr. Klein
Jacob Gelman	...	Scotty

Storyline

Phil and Kate have a baby boy named Jake. They hire a baby-sitter, Camilla, to look after Jake and she becomes part of the family. The Sterling's friend and neighbor, Ned, takes a liking to Camilla and asks her out. She refuses, but Ned follows her and discovers that she is not quite human. Camilla discovers that she has been followed and Ned is pursued. He leaves a desperate message for Phil and Kate which reveals that Camilla has special plans for baby Jake.

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Plot Keywords:

tree branches for hands | bare chested male | thrown through a glass door | leg ripped off | female frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Tonight, while the world is asleep... an ancient evil is about to awaken.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of its initial release, several critics pointed out that this may be the first horror film in which a chainsaw is used against a tree.

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Goofs

As the tree is being cut down, the movie keeps cutting back to Camilla, showing what damage it is doing to her. When the guy finishes cutting down the tree, there is a shot of Camilla and her left leg breaks off and she falls to the ground. The two shots immediately following, of the mother tackling her and then of Camilla being thrown out the window, both show her with her legs still intact.

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Quotes

Phil Sterling: You take your hands off my baby!

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Alternate Versions

There are two versions of "The Guardian": the theatrical cut, credited to William Friedkin, and a modified cut, credited to "Alan Smithee". The Alan Smithee cut has never been released on video but has been shown on cable. It includes new scenes including another scene in the hospital; different dream sequences; a scene of the nanny waking the wife up and alternate angles for other scenes. Also, the ending of the cable cut is different and omits much of the gore.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Q & A/Spaced Invaders/The Guardian/Monsieur Hire (1990)

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Soundtracks

While The City Sleeps
Written by Roger Eno
Performed by Roger Eno
Courtesy of Opal Records

User Reviews

* *1/2 out of 4.

Tree worshipping nanny (Jenny Seagrove) moves from state to state sacrificing infants to a tree. Her newest targets, a Las Angeles couple begin to notice her strange behavior as she puts the moves on dad and all of the neighbors start turning up dead. Jenny Seagrove turns in an excellent performance and there are some rather stylish and chilling moments in the film. However, the film is never really able to get past the silly premise.

Rated R; Nudity, Graphic Violence and Profanity.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Guardian

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,565,620, 29 April 1990

Gross USA:

$17,037,887

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,037,887

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Nanny Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1