Guarding Tess
Encyclopedia
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).
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.
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
starring Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
and Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
, directed by Hugh Wilson.
MacLaine plays the part of a fictional former First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
protected by an entourage of Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
bodyguards led by a reluctant Doug Chesnic (Cage).
The movie was filmed in Parkton, Maryland
Parkton, Maryland
Parkton is a rural area in the northern part of Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. It borders southern York County, PA, and this border forms part of The Mason-Dixon Line...
, 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.
Cast
- Shirley MacLaineShirley MacLaineShirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
— Tess Carlisle - Nicolas CageNicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
— Doug Chesnic - Austin PendletonAustin PendletonAustin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.-Life and career:...
— Earl Fowler - Edward AlbertEdward AlbertEdward Albert was an American film and television actor. He was also known as Edward Laurence Albert, Laurence Edward Albert and occasionally Eddie Albert, Jr.-Early life:Albert was born Edward Laurence Heimberger in Los Angeles, California, to actor Eddie...
— Barry Carlisle - James RebhornJames RebhornJames Robert Rebhorn is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 television shows, feature films and plays.-Personal life:...
— Howard Schaeffer - Richard GriffithsRichard GriffithsRichard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
— Frederick - John RoseliusJohn RoseliusJohn Roselius is a well-known American film and television actor. He is married and has one daughter named Gena Roselius, named after Gena Rowlands, the wife of famous independent film director John Cassavetes his friend and mentor for many years...
— Tom Bahlor - David GrafDavid GrafPaul David Graf was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the Police Academy series of films...
— Lee Danielson - Don Yesso — Ralph Buoncristiani
- James LallyJames LallyJames Lally, Irish soldier and Jacobite, died 1691.Lally was an Irish landowner and politician from Tuam, County Galway. He was a leading member of the Gaelic clan of the O'Mullallys , which was based in the parish of Tuam, County Galway...
— Joe Spector - Brant von Hoffman — Bob Hutcherson
- Harry J. LennixHarry J. LennixHarry Joseph Lennix III is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Terrence "Dresser" Williams in the Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats and as "Boyd Langton" in the Joss Whedon television show Dollhouse....
— Kenny Young - Susan BlommaertSusan Blommaert- Biography :Blommaert acted in several episodes of the television series Law & Order . She has worked with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman in her most recent films.- Filmography :* Forever Lulu...
— Kimberly Cannon - Dale DyeDale DyeDale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
— Charles Ivy - James HandyJames HandyJames Handy is an American film actor. He appeared in more than eighty films and television serials between 1977 and 2011. He is best known for his appearance as Arthur Devlin in Alias and Lou Handleman in Profiler.-Selected filmography:...
— Neal Carlo