57 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Peache?! I knew he was a fruit!", October 15, 2003
This review is from: My Bodyguard (DVD)
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.
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A sweet, old-fashioned movie about teen friendship., August 11, 2001
It's a commentary on the Year 2001 (and not a pleasant one) that My Bodyguard, made in 1980, now seems almost as old-fashioned as Boy's Town. Sure, an occasional curse word crosses the lips of the teen characters in this movie, and boogers and toilets are mentioned in passing. But even the school bully isn't a sex-crazed moron, and no one is shown doing distasteful things to mice, apple pies or hair mousse. It's just the sweet, likable story of Clifford Peache, a nice, smart kid bullied by a nasty school clique led by the loathsome Melvin Moody, and Ricky Linderman, the hulking loner with a violent reputation whom Clifford hires to protect him from Moody and his thugs. Clifford and Linderman become pals, Clifford learns Linderman's dark secret, and both learn a great deal from each other about friendship and courage when Moody tries to double-cross them. That's all there is to the movie, except for a subplot about Clifford's harried hotel-manager father (Martin Mull) and raffish grandmother (Ruth Gordon). It's no masterpiece, but it is pleasant and surprisingly memorable, thanks largely to the touchingly real performances of the teen stars. Adam Baldwin, who made his film debut here, is outstanding as Linderman; why he hasn't had a better subsequent career is utterly beyond me. I also have no idea why Chris Makepeace's career was essentially over by 1985. Only Matt Dillon has had a real star career--undoubtedly because he was the only one with leading-man looks. Director Tony Bill makes good use of the Chicago locations, and Joan Cusack also had her film debut here in a small role.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific film, June 5, 2000
By A Customer
This is a terrific movie. The plot concerns a boy named Clifford (Chris Makepeace) who's new to a Chicago high school. He quickly becomes the target of Moody, the school bully (Matt Dillon). Rather than put up with Moody and his friends, Clifford gets Linderman (Adam Baldwin) to be his bodyguard. Everyone at the school is terrified of Linderman, but he and Clifford become close friends. There are also a few scenes with Martin Mull as Clifford's father, a hotel manager, and Ruth Gordon as his grandmother. It's a very sweet film with superb performances from all the actors. I would recommend it to just about anyone, although there is a little bit of swearing and some mild violence. Overall, though, it's a great film.
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