My Bodyguard (Widescreen Edition)

It's rare in cinema to take on oft-used (cliche) theme - like a 'coming of age' story - and to make a hit out of it. From the screenplay to the finished product this film delivers the essential quality that permeates quality cinema - it plays true to its time and true to its characters. I have to give the director credit on that score.I grew up in the time period depicted in the film, I was virtually the same age as the hero. So, it felt very true to my high school experience and to the angst that was certainly present in that environment. High school is - or used to be back in the 1980s and prior - the first chance kids get to work out their differences without adult supervision, so it's often messy and unjust. Nevertheless, it's a vital aspect in.....coming of age. More often than not, kids learn what they need to learn in this contested social milieu.And they are much the better equipped to deal with impending adulthood because of it. That's the problem with what is happening today and the way kids are taught to seek out "authority" to solve their problems, rather than dealing with it themselves, for better or worse. That's why we have college students hiding in their safe spaces. They have zero experience in handling anything that is outside their extremely limited world view (or sense of being). It's hard to watch because of how pathetic it is. They are emotionally and mentally stunted thanks to this system which places "authority figures" on a perch. This is how people become susceptible to tyrants. Look at Germany in the early 1930s. The same phenomena was taking place with their youngest generations. They had no autonomy to be independent thinkers or problem solvers. They snitched on fellow students who didn't roll over to the system. Later on, after Hitler was elected (and he was elected in a "democratic" election, which should tell you about the nature of democracy, aka "mob rule")...every citizen was coerced into giving the one-arm salute to each other to show their allegiance to the supreme leader, and those who didn't were often beaten and shamed. Compare that to today's cancel culture. Compare it to Big Tech's assault on the first amendment. Compare it to the fake news. We are on a path to tyranny. America and China have become two peas in a pod. The US Constitution is DOA in Washington DC and many state capitals. I suppose that's why I love movies that are true to a better time. And My Bodyguard is a testament to both its time and to the natural evolution that is 'coming of age' in proper style for a constitutional republic that values independence and critical thinking.

The title says it all. But ok.. Ruth Gordon. Martin Mull. Super Star kids and ... you might see Joan Cusak and Jessica Beale background. But the teen stars and the writing kill it. Outstanding. A must see for all teens.

Classic when bullying was bullying

Matt Dillon as the bully is all you need to know

A true classic

Such a great classic about the school years, and overcoming obstacles.

Great Movie and Cast

For some reason, I always thought this movie took place in New York, but seeing it recently, and seeing the scene where the boys ride around Daley Plaza, I realized it takes place in Chicago. Pretty sad considering I grew up just north of Chicago and a few famous landmarks are visibly present within a number of scenes.Anyway, Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace) has a problem besides his really bad mushroomed shaped harido. Having just transferred from a private to public school, Clifford has run afoul of a gang of toughs, led by Moody (Matt Dillon) whose main source of income is extorting money from kids under the premise of protection from another kid, Ricky Linderman (Alec Baldwin). See, legend has it that Ricky, a boy larger than most, has done all kinds of things from killing a kid, raping a teacher, to shooting a cop. Moody and his gang claim to provide protection from Ricky, but, really, they are only providing protection against themselves, because not paying Moody would result in a beating from Moody or any of his cronies. Clifford angers Moody and his goons by refusing to pay, which results in all kinds of harassment.Clifford, seeing that even the bullies are afraid of Ricky, approaches Ricky to try and make a deal to get him to be his bodyguard. Ricky agrees initially, but backs out as Clifford tries to learn more about Ricky, about his past and why he's so feared. I've noticed some reviewers have tried to infer some sort of burgeoning homoerotic relationship between these two characters, but I really didn't see it. It's sad that two male characters in a movie can't develop a close friendship without some people labeling it as something other than what it is...I actually found that notion a little offensive and silly as this is a charming little movie that portrays one boy, who shut nearly shut everything out after a tragic event opening up to a friend. In the end, the boys develop a friendship, but also get more in that Clifford learns how to stand up for himself and Ricky seems to come to terms with a past event that isolated him and made him feared throughout the school.Look for appearances by Martin Mull, Ruth Gordon, Joan Cusack, John Houseman, George Wendt, Tim Kazurinsky, and Jennifer Beals. The movie is presented in full screen and wide screen formats, and looks really good. The audio is solid, but there are English subtitles if needed. One of the many things I appreciated about this movie was the use of real teenagers to portray teens on the screen. It really annoys me seeing some twenty something being passed off as a high school student as seems fairly common nowadays. Also, it seemed the entire movie was shot on location in Chicago, rather than on a soundstage, providing a bit of a gritty, realistic feel. This was a nice, subtle touch that served to make a great movie that much better. Overall, an excellent movie I would recommend to most anyone.

the dvd of my bodyguard has optional english subtitles

If you were a kid in the late seventies and early eighties, you could definitely relate to this movie in one way or another. Long before the advent of Cell phones and personal computers, a time when you went to the games arcade if you wanted to play video games and hung out outside, not in chat rooms with your friends. Unfortunately the one thing that hasn't changed for kids, is the school bully. What makes this movie more sociably significant now, is the role of the bully thirty years ago, compared to the cyber bullies of today. At least if you had to deal with bullies in that time, you had a safe refuge at home from them, not the case today sadly. In this movie, Clifford (Christopher Makepiece) had to become creative in dealing with his Nemesis (Matt Dillon) and that came by way of the anti-social loner Linderman (Adam Baldwin). Offering to pay Linderman for his services he reluctantly becomes Cliffords bodyguard and eventual friend. The characters are believable and real and by the end of the movie you will see yourself rooting for the good guys. This movie is still relevant today as it deals with the struggles of the average kid in a tough world and the value of friendship.

The seller was nice: no problems at all, the DVD came even earlier than expected, in perfect conditions, and the movie is very good, very enjoyable, i'm very happy to have found it!. The performances are very good, the story touch your heart and is very well written. I recommend it without doubts.El vendedor ha sido estupendo, no he tenido ningún problema, y la peli llegó incluso antes de lo esperado y en perfectas condiciones. La película es muy buena, un diamante escondido, estoy encantada de haberla encontrado, la he disfrutado mucho. Las actuaciones son muy buenas, la historia te llega al corazón y está muy bien escrita. La recomiendo sin dudarlo.

I only gave the dvd 4 stars because I wish it had commentary. Whatever happened to these actors? I bought the dvd out of nostalgia. I loved it as a kid when I saw it in the theatre and it's always stuck with me. I was happy to discover thst it stood the test of time and is still a great movie. Who doesn't love when the underdog wins!

Mi papá había estado buscando la película por años, en tiendas físicas, y milagrosamente se nos ocurrió echar un vistazo aquí. Fue la mejor decisión.Llegó en poco tiempo y esperábamos que tuviera el idioma de doblaje en español latino (cosa que no), pero no nos molestó. Es una película muy bonita y clásica.