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My Bodyguard

My Bodyguard

Comedy · Drama · Family · 1980

Clifford Peache, an easygoing teenager, is finding less than easy to fit in at his new high school, where a tough-talking bully terrorizes his classmates and extorts their lunch money. Refusing to pay up, Clifford enlist the aid of an overgrown misfit whose mere presence intimidates students and teachers alike. But their "business relationship" soon turns personal as Clifford and the troubled loner forge a winning alliance against their intimidators - and a very special friendship with each other.

Movie details

My Bodyguard

“Terrorized in the Toilets? Chased after school? Shaken down for lunch money? GET A BODYGUARD”

1980 Comedy · Drama · Family 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Clifford Peache, an easygoing teenager, is finding less than easy to fit in at his new high school, where a tough-talking bully terrorizes his classmates and extorts their lunch money. Refusing to pay up, Clifford enlist the aid of an overgrown misfit whose mere presence intimidates students and teachers alike. But their "business relationship" soon turns personal as Clifford and the troubled loner forge a winning alliance against their intimidators - and a very special friendship with each other.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over My Bodyguard?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Tony Bill

Written by

Alan Ormsby

Chris Makepeace

Chris Makepeace

Clifford Peache

Adam Baldwin

Adam Baldwin

Ricky Linderman

Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon

Melvin Moody

P

Paul Quandt

Carson

H

Hank Salas

Mike

Joan Cusack

Joan Cusack

Shelley

D

Dean R. Miller

Hightower

Court is in session

Put My Bodyguard on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.