LIFEGUARD is one of those movies that stays with you for many years. Even though I never owned a copy of it, I recalled huge chunks of the film ever since I watched it back in 1976.
To begin with, LIFEGUARD is a terrific time capsule of what SoCal looked and felt like in the 70's...the cars, the endless roads, the Denny's.
Then it's an amazingly crafted character study of 32 yr old RICK (Sam Elliot) who faces the inevitability of aging past his beach boy life and joining the rest of the mind numbed commuters he Vettes past on the way to Hermosa Beach.
We begin to see Rick's dilemma in the other characters that enter his world: First up is Chris, a rookie lifeguard representing Rick's younger self...who Rick both mentors and competes with.
Then there's Wendy (Kathleen Quinlin's expressive eyes are heartbreaking), the underage girl who causes Rick to lose his very disciplined grip.
School chum Larry arrives at the beach and boasts about his Porsche dealership, showing Rick what might have been if he'd taken his opportunities more seriously.
Finally, there's ex-sweetheart Cathy (Anne Archer) who Rick reconnects with at the ultimate iconic time passages setting, his high school reunion.
All these characters pressure Rick to make a choice, which he finally does. For my money, a very consistent choice after what we've learned about him.
One character that I believe has the strongest influence on Rick is the ocean itself. It remains strong and ageless, his longest relationship, and ultimately impossible for him to leave.
Sam Elliot made this picture what it is. He transcends some of the lesser skilled players in this thoughtful indie and really carries the story. For what might have been just a late night cable filler, this film is resonant over the past 30 odd years because Sam makes Rick so real.
I almost wish Sam could go back and do an updated version, so we might all see what happened to Rick...or perhaps it's best to leave it as the 70's time capsule it remains.
To begin with, LIFEGUARD is a terrific time capsule of what SoCal looked and felt like in the 70's...the cars, the endless roads, the Denny's.
Then it's an amazingly crafted character study of 32 yr old RICK (Sam Elliot) who faces the inevitability of aging past his beach boy life and joining the rest of the mind numbed commuters he Vettes past on the way to Hermosa Beach.
We begin to see Rick's dilemma in the other characters that enter his world: First up is Chris, a rookie lifeguard representing Rick's younger self...who Rick both mentors and competes with.
Then there's Wendy (Kathleen Quinlin's expressive eyes are heartbreaking), the underage girl who causes Rick to lose his very disciplined grip.
School chum Larry arrives at the beach and boasts about his Porsche dealership, showing Rick what might have been if he'd taken his opportunities more seriously.
Finally, there's ex-sweetheart Cathy (Anne Archer) who Rick reconnects with at the ultimate iconic time passages setting, his high school reunion.
All these characters pressure Rick to make a choice, which he finally does. For my money, a very consistent choice after what we've learned about him.
One character that I believe has the strongest influence on Rick is the ocean itself. It remains strong and ageless, his longest relationship, and ultimately impossible for him to leave.
Sam Elliot made this picture what it is. He transcends some of the lesser skilled players in this thoughtful indie and really carries the story. For what might have been just a late night cable filler, this film is resonant over the past 30 odd years because Sam makes Rick so real.
I almost wish Sam could go back and do an updated version, so we might all see what happened to Rick...or perhaps it's best to leave it as the 70's time capsule it remains.