My Bodyguard

My Bodyguard
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tony Bill
Produced by	Melvin Simon
Written by	Alan Ormsby
Starring	Chris Makepeace Adam Baldwin Matt Dillon Martin Mull Ruth Gordon
Music by	Dave Grusin
Cinematography	Michael D. Margulies
Editing by	Stu Linder
Studio	Melvin Simon Productions
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	July 11, 1980 (1980-07-11) (limited release) September 26, 1980 (1980-09-26) (wide release)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$22,482,952

My Bodyguard is a 1980 comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Tony Bill (his directorial debut), and written by Alan Ormsby. The film stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Martin Mull, and Ruth Gordon.

The film serves as the debuts of Baldwin and an uncredited Jennifer Beals, and Joan Cusack's first film where she plays a character in main credit.

Plot

Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace) lives in a fancy Chicago hotel with his father (Martin Mull), who manages the hotel, and his wildly eccentric but loving grandmother (Ruth Gordon). Clifford spends his nights with his family relaxing on the roof garden and spying on the neighbors through a telescope. He is the new kid at Lake View High School, where he arrives in a hotel limousine.

Clifford becomes a target of abuse from a bully, Melvin Moody (Matt Dillon). Moody and his gang of thugs, Dubrow (Richard Bradley), Koontz (Tim Reyna), and Hightower (Dean R. Miller), regularly terrorize and extort lunch money from other smaller, timid students, allegedly to protect them from a school outcast, the large, sullen Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin). According to school legend, Ricky has killed several people, including his own little brother. A teacher (Kathryn Grody) tells Clifford that the only violence she's aware of from Ricky's past occurred when his younger brother died accidentally while playing with a gun.

Clifford works up the nerve to approach Ricky and asks him to be his bodyguard. Ricky refuses, but the boys do become friends after Ricky saves Clifford from a beating by Moody and his gang. Ricky distances himself emotionally as he silently deals with emotional issues over the death of his 9-year-old brother a year earlier. Ricky has been rebuilding a motorcycle that he cherishes. The friendship between the two boys is strengthened as Clifford helps Ricky search junkyards for a hard-to-find part for the motorcycle's engine.

Clifford, Ricky, and a few others from school, including a fellow victim, Carson (Paul Quandt), and Clifford's crush, Shelley (Joan Cusack), eat lunch at a local park, Moody and his gang approach. Moody has enlisted the help of an older bodybuilder named Mike (Hank Salas), someone he announces is his bodyguard. Mike physically abuses the younger Ricky and damages his motorcycle before Moody pushes it into the lake. Ricky runs away. Ricky later comes to Clifford to ask for money, ostensibly to pay for a towing of the motorcycle. Feeling used, Clifford follows him and the two argue before Ricky reveals to Clifford that he accidentally shot his brother while babysitting him at home. He is overwhelmed with guilt and not the tough guy he seems.

Moody and Mike return to the park to torment the others as Ricky retrieves his motorcycle. Moody announces that Ricky's bike now belongs to him. Ricky refuses, so Moody calls over Mike and the two begin to fight. Ricky manages to gain the upper hand before Moody jumps on his back. Seeing his friend in trouble now, Clifford musters up the courage to pull Moody off. Ricky knocks out Mike and then turns his attention to Moody. But instead of fighting Clifford's battle for him, he urges Clifford to fight Moody himself while giving him advice. Clifford is afraid, but he punches Moody and discovers what a coward his bully is. Ricky gets his bike back and jokingly asks Clifford to be his bodyguard.

Cast

• Chris Makepeace as Clifford Peache
• Adam Baldwin as Ricky Linderman
• Matt Dillon as Melvin Moody
• Martin Mull as Mr. Peache
• Ruth Gordon as Gramma Peache
• Paul Quandt as Carson
• Joan Cusack as Shelley
• Hank Salas as Mike
• Richard Bradley as Dubrow
• Tim Reyna as Koontz
• Dean R. Miller as Hightower
• Kathryn Grody as Ms. Jump
• John Houseman as Dobbs
• Craig Richard Nelson as Griffith
• Jennifer Beals (uncredited) as Clifford's friend

Release and reception

My Bodyguard opened on July 11, 1980, in limited release, and wide release on September 26, 1980. In its limited weekend, the film opened at #3 with $178,641 and went on to gross $22,482,953 in the United States.^[1]

The film ranked #45 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.^[2]

The film received generally positive reviews, garnering an 85% 'fresh' rating and the consensus "T. Bill debuts as an affectionate director, keenly aware of growing pains," on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.^[3]

References

1. ^ "My Bodyguard (1980)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mybodyguard.htm. Retrieved March 1, 2011. 
2. ^ "Head of the Class: The 50 Best High School Movies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5wrFgw1af. Retrieved March 1, 2011. 
3. ^ My Bodyguard at Rotten Tomatoes

External links

• My Bodyguard at the Internet Movie Database
• My Bodyguard at AllRovi
• My Bodyguard at Box Office Mojo
• My Bodyguard at Rotten Tomatoes