The Guardian (2006)

A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's "A" School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall teaches him some hard lessons about loss, love, and self-sacrifice.

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writer:

Ron L. Brinkerhoff

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Sela Ward

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	Ben Randall
Ashton Kutcher	...	Jake Fischer
Sela Ward	...	Helen Randall
Melissa Sagemiller	...	Emily Thomas
Clancy Brown	...	Capt. William Hadley
Omari Hardwick	...	Carl Billings
Alex Daniels	...	Wild Bill
Daniel J. Molthen	...	Co-Pilot Wakefield (as Lcdr. Daniel J. Molthen USCG)
Andrew Schanno	...	Pilot Mitchell (as Lt. Andrew Schanno USCG)
Adam Pena	...	Benjamin Reyes
Joe Arquette	...	Co-Pilot Antunez
Gary Billburg	...	Julian Zankich (as PO1 Gary Billburg USCG)
Joshua Mitcheltree	...	Mitcheltree (as PO2 Joshua Mitcheltree USCG)
Rusty Tennant	...	Mover #1
James Barnes	...	Doctor #1

Storyline

Ben Randall is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. When his crew is killed in an accident and his marriage ends, his commander tells him he wants Randall to go to the US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer "A" School to train other rescue swimmers. He encounters a guy named Jake who's a little cocky because he was once a swim champion. So Ben puts him through the wringer to see if he can handle it.

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Plot Keywords:

u.s. coast guard | rescue | swimmer | team | training | 

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Taglines:

How Do You Decide Who Lives Or Who Dies?

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

Following the series of hurricanes in the southern United States in 2005, production moved to Shreveport, Louisiana.

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Goofs

After the night spent with Emily, when Jake gets dressed he's wearing different shirt than the night before.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Capt. William Hadley: There is a legend of a man who lives beneath the sea. He is a fisher of men, the last hope of all those who have been left behind. Many survivors claim to have felt his gripping hands beneath them; pushing them up to the surface; whispering strength until help could arrive. But this, of course, is only a legend.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Worst of 2006 (2007)

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Soundtracks

Hold Tight
Written by Richard Davis, Chris 'Hambone' Cameron and Tad Robinson
Performed by Tad Robinson

User Reviews

Worthy of audience applause

I attended an advance screening of this film not sure of what to expect from Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher; both have delivered less than memorable performances & films. While the underlying "general" storyline is somewhat familiar, this film was excellent. Both Costner and Kutcher delivered powerful performances playing extremely well off each other. The human frailties and strengths of their respective characters were incredibly played by both; the scene when Costner confronts Kutcher with the personal reasons why Kutcher joined the Coast Guard rescue elite was the film's most unforgettable emotional moment. The "specific" storyline was an education in itself depicting the personal sacrifice and demanding physical training the elite Coast Guard rescuers must go through in preparation of their only job & responsibility...to save lives at sea. The special effects of the rescue scenes were extremely realistic and "wowing"...I haven't seen such angry seas since "The Perfect Storm". Co-star Clancy Brown (HBO's "Carnivale" - great to see him again) played the captain of the Coast Guard's Kodiak, Alaska base in a strong, convincing role as a leader with the prerequisite and necessary ice water in his veins. The film wonderfully, and finally, gives long overdue exposure and respect to the Coast Guard; it had the audience applauding at the end.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Guardian

Filming Locations:

Kodiak, Alaska, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,006,064, 1 October 2006

Gross USA:

$55,011,732

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$94,973,540

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Beacon Pictures, Contrafilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1