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Movies / On DVD / Guarding Tess
Guarding Tess

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Guarding Tess (1994)

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57 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:30

Fresh:17

Rotten:13

Average Rating:5.5/10

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Tess Carlisle is the widow of a former United States President. A quarrelsome older woman, she's known for her belligerent manner and her blatant disregard for protocol. For Doug Chesnic, the... Tess Carlisle is the widow of a former United States President. A quarrelsome older woman, she's known for her belligerent manner and her blatant disregard for protocol. For Doug Chesnic, the Secret Service agent assigned to the widow, standing watch over the cantankerous old lady is more than he can tolerate. After three long years as her bodyguard, Doug finally gets a new assignment. But before he's had the chance to celebrate, Tess has him brought back to her Ohio home for yet another go at being her bodyguard. Tess and Doug may be like oil and water together, but they'll soon realize that they've needed each other all along. [More]

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Nicolas Cage, Austin Pendleton, Edward Albert

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Nicolas Cage, Austin Pendleton, Edward Albert, James Rebhorn, Richard Griffiths

Director: Hugh Wilson

Director: Hugh Wilson

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Guarding Tess

  • T-Meter Critics
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  • RT Community
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato

Straightforward but enjoyable comedy that sees Cage and MacLaine going at it hammer and tongs -- although not in that sense.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 19 2008 06:21 AM

Channel 4 Film

splat

Derek Adams

Cage is on best behaviour here, but he's not an especially sympathetic performer.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 24 2006 03:23 AM

Time Out

tomato
3/4

Competently executed and entertaining, chiefly due to the first-rate performances of stars Cage and MacLaine.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 19 2008 06:24 AM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

splat

Leonard Klady

The film is indeed likable. But director Hugh Wilson, who co-wrote the script with Peter Torokvei, just skims the surface of potentially rich territory.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 19 2008 06:22 AM

Variety

tomato
3/5

Cole Smithey

No review available.

comment Comment | Nov., 07 2005 06:36 PM

ColeSmithey.com

splat
2/5

Emanuel Levy

No review available.

comment Comment | Jun., 14 2005 10:32 AM

EmanuelLevy.Com

splat
2/5

Todd Jorgenson

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 18 2005 01:01 PM

Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

splat
2/5

Robin Clifford

No review available.

comment Comment | Nov., 19 2004 08:19 AM

Reeling Reviews

splat
2/5

James Sanford

A fun idea, blandly executed

comment Comment | Mar., 19 2004 02:47 PM

Kalamazoo Gazette

splat
2/5

Nicolas Lacroix

No review available.

comment Comment | Dec., 02 2003 01:41 PM

Showbizz.net

tomato
3/5

Brandon Judell

No review available.

comment Comment | Aug., 23 2003 01:22 PM

PopcornQ

splat
1/5

Walter Chaw

No review available.

comment Comment | Jul., 20 2003 01:05 AM

Film Freak Central

tomato

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Speaks to the universal human yearning for someone to watch over us.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 18 2003 04:06 AM

Spirituality and Practice

tomato
3/5

Ken Hanke

So-so sitcom-like star comedy.

comment Comment | Jun., 16 2003 05:18 PM

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

tomato

Janet Maslin

Mr. Cage, once again sounding mock-suave and Elvisy, makes the most of his character's fragile cool.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2003 05:06 PM

New York Times

splat
2.5/4

Shellie Iliff

For the first half-hour, the tension between Cage and MacLaine makes for some truly funny moments, but then it seems as if director Hugh Wilson called a wrap too early.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2003 05:06 PM

Palo Alto Weekly

tomato
3/5

Robert Roten

No review available.

comment Comment | Feb., 14 2003 08:10 PM

Laramie Movie Scope

splat
1/5

Bob Bloom

They should have pulled her detail.

comment Comment | Feb., 14 2003 12:15 AM

Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

tomato
3.5/5

James Rocchi

A chance to watch two great actors shine in rich, funny, real roles.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 07 2002 01:22 PM

Netflix

tomato
3/4

Kevin N. Laforest

When you get down to it, this film ain't much more than a corny melodrama. Still, it's a really involving, deeply sweet film that just makes you feel good.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 10 2002 08:09 AM

Montreal Film Journal

 
 
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