Guarding Tess

Guarding Tess
Original poster
Directed by	Hugh Wilson
Written by	Hugh Wilson Peter Torokvei
Produced by	Ned Tanen Nancy Graham Tanen
Starring	Shirley MacLaine Nicolas Cage Austin Pendleton Edward Albert James Rebhorn Richard Griffiths
Cinematography	Brian J. Reynolds
Edited by	Sidney Levin
Music by	Michael Convertino
Distributed by	TriStar Pictures
Release date	March 11, 1994 (1994-03-11)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$27,058,304

Guarding Tess is a 1994 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage, directed by Hugh Wilson.

MacLaine plays the part of a fictional former First Lady protected by an entourage of Secret Service bodyguards led by a reluctant Doug Chesnic (Cage).

The movie was filmed in Parkton, Maryland, and nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1995 (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical: Shirley MacLaine).

Plot

Doug Chesnic is a Secret Service agent who takes great pride in his job, performing his duties with the utmost professionalism. However, his assignment for the last three years has been a severe test of his patience. Doug leads the team stationed in Ohio who protects Tess Carlisle, the widow of a former U.S. President, and who is well known for her diplomatic and philanthropic work, but Tess tends to regard Doug less as a security officer and more of a domestic servant, like her chauffeur, Earl, or her nurse, Frederick.

Doug regards it as beneath his professional dignity to perform little chores around the house or bring Tess her breakfast in bed, but she orders him to do so, and he's in no position to say no. Sometimes, Tess even refuses to obey Doug's security instructions, eluding her own bodyguards, and anytime Doug argues with her, she contacts a close friend – the current President of the United States – to inform him of her displeasure.

Doug's three-year hitch with Tess comes to an end, so he asks to be given a more exciting and challenging assignment. Tess has other ideas; she's decided that she likes working with Doug and demands that his assignment be made permanent. Doug does eventually get the excitement he craved, but in a way he could not foresee, when Tess gets kidnapped. Doug suspects Earl of being involved in the abduction and confronts him in his hospital room, where he claims he was rendered unconscious by the abductors. Doug threatens to shoot off Earl's toes, one by one, until he confesses his involvement and tells Doug and an FBI agent where Mrs. Carlisle is being held. Doug shoots off one of Earl's toes and, before he can shoot off another, Earl confesses his role and tells Doug that Mrs. Carlisle is being held captive by Earl's sister and her husband.

The FBI and the Secret Service arrive at the location indicated by Earl, arrest the two kidnappers, and find Mrs. Carlisle buried, but alive, beneath the floor of the farmhouse. Mrs. Carlisle insists that her Secret Service detail accompany her to the hospital, forcing several high enforcement officials to leave the rescue helicopter. Mrs. Carlisle is released from the hospital, but refuses to obey the hospital rule that patients must be discharged in a wheelchair. Doug tells her "Tess, get in the goddamn chair" and, after a brief pause, Tess complies, pats Doug's hand and says "Very good, Douglas."

Cast

• Shirley MacLaine — Tess Carlisle
• Nicolas Cage — Doug Chesnic
• Austin Pendleton — Earl Fowler
• Edward Albert — Barry Carlisle
• James Rebhorn — Howard Schaeffer
• Richard Griffiths — Frederick
• John Roselius — Tom Bahlor
• David Graf — Lee Danielson
• Don Yesso — Ralph Buoncristiani
• James Lally — Joe Spector
• Brant von Hoffman — Bob Hutcherson
• Harry J. Lennix — Kenny Young
• Susan Blommaert — Kimberly Cannon
• Dale Dye — Charles Ivy
• James Handy — Neal Carlo

External links

• Guarding Tess at IMDb
• Guarding Tess at AllMovie
• Guarding Tess at Rotten Tomatoes
• Guarding Tess at Box Office Mojo