Lifeguard (1976)

Opening with majestic aerial shots that capture the serene beauty of the beach where the title character works, this low key yet potent drama revolves around a thirtysomething lifeguard who begins to question the viability of the job that he loves amid mounting family pressure and a new girlfriend with a young boy to support. "I still wonder what you're going to be when you grow up" announces the main character's father at an uncomfortable family dinner in which the camera tracks back and forth across the table, perfectly capturing the ease and tension in the air at a key point. Thoughtfully shot as the film may be, and thought-provoking as the screenplay by 'Into the Night' screenwriter Ron Koslow certainly is, the key element that drives the film is Sam Elliott's towering lead performance. The way he simply shyly smiles at many points conveys more than words possibly could and fans of 'The Big Lebowski' will likely be interested to see Elliott younger than ever but still possessing the same very natural charisma. Having fallen into obscurity over the years, 'Lifeguard' is a far from flawless film with the drawn-out montages set to maudlin music the most obvious vice, but most aspects of the film work - even an initially awkward romance that develops between Elliott and a teenage beachgoer set on seducing him. There is a lot to be said about the effectiveness of the final few shots of the film too; while one might not necessarily agree with his decisions by the end of the film, it is easy every step of the way to sympathise with the choices he makes.

Well, it's not unusual to have a small and cute movie. These are the movies which we pilgrimage to, escaping from Hollywood's big and loud movies. The thing is, this time, it is unusual to have a unique hero; with new solution for his conflict. So how is that ? Simply because this hero we watched didn't eventually choose the teenage girl who materializes his impetuosity for life, as well as his dive into it. And he also didn't choose the mature woman / his old love who materializes rationality and stability. The man preferred to choose his freedom, his self with its own defects. He preferred to work what he really loves, succeeds in, and can't forbid himself of doing (his work as a daily Life Guard at the beach), so maybe he could find someday that love which would harmonize with his status, and not the status which would harmonize with his love ! He is an interesting type of hero, who achieved his victory on circumstances for his invariability. And his very success was nothing but realizing that his happiness and his immutability were one thing, which if he tried to change; he would lose the thing he loved the most : his selfsame, or his precious nature. Although he knew very well that he is losing a lot in the same time "I know that I'm losing.. more than you could imagine !" but he selected not to select anything of what was in front of him.. and that – in itself – is a selection. In fact, we aren't used to watch this kind of heroes in the movies but rarely. That's why this movie isn't small and cute only, but rare too.

Saw this when it came out and, though I never had the leisure to share as much beach time as some of the characters in this film, I did know some of the surf-and-sand denizens of the beaches from Malibu south to San Diego back in the 1970's. I thought this film was a not inaccurate glimpse of what that sun-kissed lifestyle was all about. Sam Elliott was well cast as a lifeguard a few years older than the average athlete who perched on those observation stations, looking out at the Pacific's frequently treacherous waves. He looked the part and had the depth needed to make his character's less-than-monumental struggles to come to grips with his life and his career choice about as convincing as any actor probably could. With some fallow periods in the years since, Sam has continued to work quite steadily, though I've often wished he wasn't so often confined to Western roles. (What would he have done without Ted Turner and TNT and all those made-for-TV Western sagas?) With that distinctively macho growl of his, there's no mistaking who's doing a voice-over for one of the commercials he's done. I've always felt that his speaking voice has been his unique asset as an actor, not to mention the awesome mustache he frequently sports. "Lifeguard" is worth a look if you want a glimpse of southern California before it became impossibly overcrowded and overbuilt...when it was still a semi-paradise for the young and feckless.

This film works as a nice little reality check for us "over-aged" surfers. We see Rick teased with getting a so called real job, and we see him doing what he loves to do....being at the beach. Nice direction for a 70's film and real nice character development. Ann Archer shows her acting skills and of course Sam Elliott steals the show.