MY BODYGUARD

US, 1980, 96 minutes, Colour.
Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Ruth Gordon, Martin Mull, John Houseman.
Directed by Tony Bill.

My Bodyguard is a pleasing film, aimed at the adolescent audience and about adolescence, friendships, school and bullying. (The older generation, unless previous school bullies, should like the film and memories it might evoke.) It is all fairly straightforward, full of feeling and the audience knows whom to cheer and boo . Chris Makepeace is a likable hero (his home life in a Chicago hotel is an unusual subplot which involves Ruth Gordon as his grandmother, as yet another eccentric old woman). Adam Baldwin gives a reticent performance as the big youth and Matt Dillon is the slick and pushy bully. The film shows us a lot of the value of friendship. The film is the directing debut of former actor and successful producer, Tony Bill.

1. The significance of the title, audience expectations? The identification of the two characters and their interrelationship, dependence? The focus on school, bullying? For what audience was the film made? Students at school, teachers, parents, adults who remember?

2. The use of Chicago locations, the world of the hotel, schools, the slums? The ordinary life of Chicago? For American audiences? Universal appeal?

3. The flavour of family, how, school? The use of locations and attention to detail? The musical score?

4. Clifford as hero? Riding his bike during the credits, his relationship with his father and his busy looking after hotel, the eccentric grandmother, life in the hotel? Going to the new school? The office, searching for rooms, for a place in the classroom, the attitudes of the other students and their comment on his height? His being smaller? The putting down of Moodie, his talks with the small neighbour? Audiences identifying with him as a genial adolescent, recognisable situations, the build up to clashes?

5. Clifford's defying Moodie? The scene in the lavatory, the gang, the discussion about protection money, the chase through the school and into the hall? Clifford's father getting in touch with the headmaster and the headmaster's wise treatment of the affair, his warnings to Clifford about the nature of the school? Clifford being trapped by Moodie? Ricky Lindeman and his size, coming to school? His overhearing the situation in the toilets? His getting Clifford out of the locker after the swim? His refusal to be Clifford's bodyguard? The scene in the cafeteria and his deciding to help Clifford? The brief arrangement and his not wanting to follow it up? His walking away from Clifford? Clifford and his friends, loneliness, the small group that he related well to?

6. The build up of Ricky and his reputation? His decision to help Clifford? His not wanting to make any deal? The effect of Cliff's following him? His finally giving in? The discussions about the bike, the collage of sequences in the search for the cylinder, the growing friendship? The visit to the hotel, the raucous talk from Cliffs grandmother? The confrontation with Moodie and Mike as his bodyguard? The clash over the bike, Ricky's refusing to fight? Cliff's questioning of him and seeking him out, his telling of the story about the death of his brother and his cowardice? His tears? The effect of talking so much to Cliff and expressing his feelings? His rescuing his bike? The build up to the fight, the encouragement of Cliff in his fight? How interesting a character, how well drawn, sympathetic?

7. How well did the film draw Cliff? In himself, in relationship to his family, in his clashes with Moodie, in the growing friendship with Ricky, with his smaller friend, with Shelley? The other members of the class?

8. Moodie as the class bully, as a lair? His showing off in class, his rejecting the girl, his relying on his gang, the confrontations in the lavatory, the protection money, the bullying of Cliff? The confrontation with Ricky and his backing down? His employing Mike as his bodyguard? The fight with Cliff and his broken nose? The class happy with his downfall? The audience sharing this?

9. The small boy and his humorous and adult sounding comments? The rejected girl and her friendship with Cliff?

10. The sub-plot of the hotel: the detail, its running, Cliff's father and his love for his son, the death of his mother? The father's busyness and not being able to attend to his son as fully as would have liked, ringing the headmaster etc? His eye for the women guests? The humour with Cliff's grandmother, her way of speaking, her flirting with the guests, her making the breakfast, the assistant and his threats? The humour of her flirting with the supervisor and his enjoying himself? Her kindness to Ricky? The assistant and his jealousy and trying to oust the family? His comeuppance?

11. How enjoyable and entertaining a story, the quality of its feeling, its comment on school years and education, growing up, adolescence, the qualities of true friendship, the pressures of the peer group, bullying and self-defence? The ingredients of growing up sympathetically and wisely presented?