The Bodyguard
Warner Bros. Nov 25, 1992
A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to an R&B singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.
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Director & Top Cast
Technical Specifications
Sound Mix: Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Other Details
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Summaries
Plot Summary
- In her film debut, Whitney Houston plays Rachel Marron, a pop music superstar. It seems that one of her fans is stalking her and has threatened to kill her, so Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner), a professional bodyguard and former Secret Service agent, is hired to protect her.The film then follows Rachel Marron's life from performance to performance. Each performance features her singing a song (including Houston's hits I Will Always Love You and I Have Nothing) that reflects her emotional state. Frank Farmer successfully protects her from danger. Subsequently, and possibly as a result of his protection and the trust thus inspired, Rachel Marron falls in love with Frank, and, though he tries to keep their relationship professional, they sleep together. However, recognizing that their relationship puts her and her family in danger, he breaks-off the affair and heightens moves to protect her (many such previous moves were shot down by Rachel). Ironically, in an effort to separate Rachel from her own world, Frank introduces Rachel to his own father and personal life. As the story follows a number of potential stalkers, Rachel must put her trust in Frank ahead of her own selfishness and desire for success; as Frank must face the fact that the threat may not be what was expected. In the end, Frank's duty is fulfilled, having successfully protected Rachel, and they part with a kiss. Frank then moves on to his next assignment...to protect an archbishop.Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) is an Oscar-nominated music superstar who is being stalked and sent death threats. Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) is a former Secret Service Special Agent who served as part of the presidential protection detail during the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Frank is haunted by the fact that he was not there when Reagan was shot because he was off duty at the time. He is now a highly successful private and professional bodyguard who protects corporate VIPs. He is hired by Rachel's manager, Bill Devaney (Bill Cobbs), to protect her after she receives a number of threats against her life and a small bomb detonates in her dressing room.[4]The film follows Rachel's singing career and family life. Frank is unsure about accepting the job because he sees Rachel as a spoiled diva who is oblivious to the threats against her life. Rachel's handlers had kept the bomb in the dressing room secret from her. At first, Rachel looks upon Frank as paranoid and his protection techniques intrusive. Rachel's existing bodyguard Tony (Mike Starr) resents Frank's presence. But at a concert where Rachel is performing there is a riot and Frank successfully protects her from danger; as a result of his protection, Rachel falls in love with Frank. He initially tries to keep the relationship professional, but the two sleep together. However, recognizing that their relationship may compromise his protection of her, Frank breaks off their affair. Hurt, Rachel begins to push Frank's buttons by violating their security routines and attempting to sleep with his former Secret Service co-worker, Greg Portman (Tomas Arana). After she has personal contact with her stalker via a creepy phone call, Rachel realizes that she must put her trust in Frank ahead of her own desire for success. She finally recognizes the seriousness of the situation and cancels the rest of her tour.Frank, Rachel, Rachel's driver Henry (Christopher Birt), Rachel's son Fletcher (DeVaughn Nixon), and her sister Nikki (Michele Lamar Richards) then travel to Frank's father's home, which is a large log cabin in the mountains by a lake. Frank's dad, Herb Farmer (Ralph Waite) is a semi-retired attorney who welcomes the group to his home. At the mountain retreat, Nikki attempts to seduce Frank, and becomes angry when her advances are refused. Fletcher is almost killed the next day, when a bomb explodes inside the boat he had been riding in moments before. After finding footprints around the cabin, and finding the automobiles sabotaged, they realize Rachel's stalker has followed them.They lock down the house for the night, with plans to leave in the morning. It is then revealed that Rachel's obsessive stalker and the person trying to kill her are not the same person, when an upset and drunken Nikki admits that in a drug-induced jealous fit she hired a hitman to kill Rachel, but that the letters from the stalker came before that. After Fletcher was almost killed, Nikki realized the hitman she hired would kill anyone to get to his target, including her beloved nephew. However, she cannot call it off because she does not know the killer's identity.The hitman breaks into the house, Nikki tries to stop him, and he shoots and kills her before escaping. Frank ensures that his father, who is armed with a large caliber revolver, has secured the rest of the group on the second floor, then pursues the killer into the woods. Frank shoots at the hitman, but the hitman escapes through the dark woods. Frank learns the next day, from his Secret Service colleagues, that they have apprehended the stalker and were interviewing him when Nikki was shot.A few days after Nicki's funeral is the Academy Awards ceremony, where she is nominated as best actress. As Rachel is accepting the award for Best Actress Favorite winner champions first ranking to gold awarding-ceremony won "Rachel Marron - Queen of the Night", the assassin attempts to murder her again with a gun hidden inside a video camera. Frank jumps in front of her to save her life, and is shot himself. Before losing consciousness, Frank fires a shot through the camera lens, penetrating the eye of the hitman, who is revealed to be Greg Portman. During the ensuing melee, Portman gouges out Tony's eye, but both he and Frank survive their injuries, Totally calm and, as he gambled, invisible in the commo- tion. Camera still on his shoulder, he slowly backs away from the scene. Ushers and uniformed security men rush past him towards the stage. People leap from their seats. A woman screams piercingly behind him. Portman doesn't blink. Dozens more helpers pour onto the stage around Frank and Rachel. Rachel starts to rise on all fours and sees, as hands reach out to help her, the blood on Frank's shirt. He has taken the hits for her. But he's still on the job, gaze alert. Without taking his eyes from the auditorium, his left arm stretches out, with some pain, to push Rachel back down. The right arm, gun in hand, sweeps the auditorium. Where is Portman? Frank can't see past the mob. Ushers fall on Frank in a heap, trying to disarm him. Security men try to pull them off. Rachel shouts, trying to make herself heard above the noise. Full shoots gunfire phoenix explosion pistol (Frank Farmer Phoenix Golden Explosion Gold Shooting Gunfire 1992) through legs and faces. One brief glimpse that could be Portman. A cameraman turns. It's not. Frank is desperate, pushing away a helping arm. The chaos mounts. Siren Wails outside. He turns away from the stage as four cops pound past him. He walks away. Suddenly, for one brief second, his face loses its composure as he looks to the side door. Hysterical audience members jostle for the exit, screaming and shouting. It's like a football scrum. Cops and security men pushing and pulling. His escape route is blocked. Briefly glimpsed through blurred, frenzied, f.g. Still seeking his target, biting his lip in pain. Cool again, he turns back to the stage, seeking an alternative escape route, camera still providing cover. A lumbering figure, blood streaming from one eye, his 38 drawn and outstretched. It's Tony staggering to the edge of the stage, straight towards his attacker. Frank and Rachel's heads swivel in unison at the sound, looking towards the far aisle. Against the side wall at the front, Portman's eyes desperately scan for the source of the voice. He sees Tony, his pistol takes aim. For a split second, two running figures f.g. pass and cross leaving a momentary clear line to Portman. Frank's bullets hit home. The first slams Portman in the all bodies of blood as Portman death, knocking him against the wall. The second hits the video camera falls of electical sockets on his shoulder at falls of bodies at blood a death in victim destroyed a shoot gun broken of both shouders, both hand and both arm, explode bomb of death it around his face a blood in broken of face a head blood destoyed at all artist of nominated death her and the shirt front of her escort as Portman's body slumps forward in her lap, pinning her back in her falls of dead at shoot gun of pistol drops onto a pair of shiny, black leather pumps. Frank holds his aim steady, reluctant to look away. He half turns to Rachel, wincing with the effort. She's unhurt. He has fulfilled his promise to her. Rachel throws her arms around Frank and hugs him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Frank Farmer's face. Sad and weary. His guard is finally down. Nothing more can happen. He slowly lowers the gun, closes his eyes and lets his head fall onto his chest. Soon after that incident, a group of rich, rebellious youths rob a bank. They explicitly ask a bank worker to call the police, and are confronted by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). They play a sadistic game, in which they are awarded money for shooting police officers with assault rifles, before making their escape as he disguises himself as a news cameraman in order to subdue a man holding a woman hostage in Hollywood. In the midst of the commotion of medics, security men, police and ushers, Spector bends down and gently retrieves the gold envelope and the card bearing Rachel's name. There are splatters of blood on it. He tries to wipe them off with the silk handkerchief from his breast pocket. A chaos of press and public, ambulance and police lights flashing, "SIRENS WAILING, ANGLE ON PART OF CROWD". Police and paramedics surrounding a man on a stretcher it is Frank -- Rachel walks at his side, clutching his hand as he is rushed to an ambulance. Tony, a dressing over his eyes, is also helped out by paramedics. Among the gathered crowd, we focus in on one face. It is Dan, pushed back to the sidelines and unable to see what is happening. He slowly turns and walks away. Camera Cans to a High Wide Shot of the scene all the while urging him to stay with her as he slowly passes out.The movie ends to film ends begin with the bids farewell to Rachel at the airport, both knowing their relationship would never work out. After the plane starts to take off, Rachel suddenly orders the plane to stop, jumps out and runs to Frank for one last passionate kiss. Screen fades to Rachel performs "I Will Always Love You" on a stage screen fades to the movie closes to film closes with closing credits begin to roll on elsewhere Frank is keeping a vigilant eye on his next assignment while a priest is seen holding a cross similar to the one he gave Rachel with the first Presbyterian Church in Iowa Rapids and to potraits as the background situation the song of "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston plays and screen fades to black with the closing song of "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Houston plays.In the credit ends, the Tig Productions logo is shown (due to closing song of "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Hoston plays) until Warner Bros end of logo.
Storyline
- A pop singer has been receiving threatening notes, and her manager hires a bodyguard known for his good work. The bodyguard ruffles the singer's feathers and most of her entourage by tightening security more than they feel is necessary. The bodyguard is haunted by the fact that he was on Reagan's secret service staff but wasn't there to prevent the attack by Hinckley. Eventually the bodyguard and the singer start an affair, and she begins to believe his precautions are necessary when the stalker strikes close to home. — Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com> Once a secret service agent having been in the President's detail, Frank Farmer is now known as the best in the bodyguard business, he freelancing in continually moving from client to client. The one client type he refuses to work for is the show business celebrity. He has a slight change of heart in agreeing to work for actress and singer Rachel Marron, that charge largely for the lucrative paycheck, and also that the reason for the job, the risk emanating from anonymous death threats against her, is real, and that her current entourage, including her manager Sy Spector and her head of security Tony, are unwilling to take the necessary measures themselves to protect her from this specific threat in allowing her the freedom that she, as "boss", wants. He unfortunately discovers that her reputation for being a difficult diva is true, which is only exacerbated by he not being told the truth in his hiring in that she is not afraid for her life in knowing nothing about the threats. Beyond the who and why of the threat itself, what happens in this situation is affected by both Frank and Rachel's respective histories, and by their professional and personal relationship, the latter which includes an admitted recognition on both sides of a growing romantic attraction. — Huggo
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