Guarding Tess

Play trailer

2:20

Guarding Tess

PG-13

1994

1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage), an agent with the Secret Service Uniformed Division, is assigned to protect former first lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Chesnic finds the job demeaning and a challenge because of Tess' high-maintenance personality and petty demands. He's desperate to get another assignment, but she insists that he remain head of her security detail, using her influence with the current president to get her way. When she's kidnapped, however, Chesnic's feelings change.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

04/19/2024

3.5/4

There is an empathetic grace to Guarding Tess that’s timeless.

Go to Full Review

Leonard Klady

Variety

09/19/2008

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.

Go to Full Review

Derek Adams

Time Out

06/24/2006

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

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

08/31/2019

3/4

...an erratic yet rewarding star vehicle.

Go to Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

06/06/2018

Maclaine's performance as Tess Carlisle, which shifts from polite witchiness to lonely, mildly boozy poignancy, adds up to the only real reason to see this potentially funny and revealing, but actually rather humdrum duodrama.

Go to Full Review

Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

12/08/2017

Too often Guarding Tess feels like a sketch towards a movie.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Matt L

@Mattliptak Feb 6

Guarding Tess is a light, charming diversion—ultimately a pretty pointless movie, but an entertaining one. Shirley MacLaine is terrific and clearly having fun, delivering one of her more endearing late-career performances. The chemistry between her and Nicolas Cage is the real hook—easy, playful, and genuinely warm, carrying the film even when the plot meanders. No great stakes, no lasting impact—but as a cozy, character-driven watch, it works just fine. A pleasant, low-effort movie that knows exactly what it is.

See more

Beatriz M.

@Betbib Jan 29

Great movie from the 90’s. Timeless. Very entertaining and funny

See more

Al K

Nov 17

Yes, I’ve the read Rotten reviews. They are, I must admit, pretty rotten. Regardless, I find Guarding Tess as a breath of fresh air among barely-there five star reviews. I believe, as a somewhat romantic, that this could someday happen, under similarly extenuating circumstances stances. My favorite line in the movie? "And Tess, get in the Goddamn chair!"

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 14

Funny in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $26,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Farah R

@Farah Feb 22

Nicholas Cage and Shirley Maclaine's chemistry saves this weird movie that starts as a quirky comedy and then abruptly becomes a thriller. The genre switch makes the narrative feel uneven, but there's enough heart to make it enjoyable.

See more

03/11/2024

Cage and McClaine are a dynamic duo but the film has such drastic tonal shifts it feels imbalanced. It should’ve been more of a quirky buddy comedy. So much of these quirky and dramatic scenes don’t mesh very well with each other.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Hugh Wilson

Director

Shirley MacLaine

Tess Carlisle

Nicolas Cage

Doug Chesnic

Austin Pendleton

Earl Fowler

Edward Albert

Barry Carlisle

James Rebhorn

Howard Schaeffer

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Shirley MacLaine Makes Her Getaway

1:07

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Get In The God Damn Wheelchair

1:36

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - LOL! Nicolas Cage Embarrasses Shirley MacLaine

2:46

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Am I Secret Service or A Caddy?

4:09

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Battle of the Stubborn A-holes

1:37

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Holy Sh*t! They BURIED HER ALIVE!

7:21

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - HAHAHA! The President Yells at Nicolas Cage!

2:26

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - Nicolas Cage Goes BALLISTIC and Shoots A Toe Off!

4:33

Guarding Tess: Official Clip - How The First Lady Goes Grocery Shopping

1:22

View more videos

For Keeps

17%

71%

For Keeps

Watchlist

Hero

67%

51%

Hero

Watchlist

Peggy Sue Got Married

88%

55%

Peggy Sue Got Married

Watchlist

With Honors

22%

74%

With Honors

Watchlist

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

90%

89%

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Watchlist

TRAILER

for What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Guarding Tess: Trailer 1

2:20

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage), an agent with the Secret Service Uniformed Division, is assigned to protect former first lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Chesnic finds the job demeaning and a challenge because of Tess' high-maintenance personality and petty demands. He's desperate to get another assignment, but she insists that he remain head of her security detail, using her influence with the current president to get her way. When she's kidnapped, however, Chesnic's feelings change.

Director: Hugh Wilson
Producer: Nancy Graham Tanen, Ned Tanen
Screenwriter: Hugh Wilson, PJ Torokvei
Production Co: TriStar Pictures, Channel Films
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.2M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now