LIFEGUARD

US, 1976, 96 minutes, Colour.
Sam Elliott, Anne Archer, Stephen Young, Parker Stevenson, Kathleen Quinlan.
Directed by Daniel Petrie.

Lifeguard is as it sounds. Sam Elliott portrays a thirtysomething-year-old lifeguard who is challenged by the people that he meets at the beach, especially a very young Kathleen Quinlan. When he attends an anniversary of his high school, he meets a divorced mother who was a friend in the past. Falling in love with her, he has to make a decision whether he continues to be a lifeguard – or go to be a salesman for Porsche!

It is surprising in later decades to see Sam Elliott looking so young. Audiences will have got used to him as looking as gnarled and rugged in such films as Hulk, Thank You For Smoking, The Contender, We Were Soldiers. He also seems to be the archetypal cowboy in a variety of television films including Connagher, with his wife Katharine Ross.

Anne Archer was emerging as a leading actress at the time and the film is an early role for Kathleen Quinlan.

The film was directed by Daniel Petrie who had a very competent career in film and television. At this time he made a number of telemovies like Mousey, The Gun and the Pulpit and some feature films, Buster and Billy, The Betsy, Resurrection, Fort Apache the Bronx. He also directed the significant telemovie on psychology, Sybil.

1. Emphasis and tone of the title? The alternate title was 'Time and Tide'. More appropriate? The emphasis of the song and its theme?

2. For what audience was the film made, geared towards? What American audience, overseas audience? The appeal to the young? To the middle-aged?

3. How important vas the atmosphere of the colourful new community and its lifestyle? What impact did this make? A community and a lifestyle focused on the beach, the sun and the water, relaxation? The atmosphere of holidays? The ordinary atmosphere of California and its coast, the pleasant atmosphere? The range of people on the beach, the old man jogging, the people on school holidays? The atmosphere of jobs associated with the beach and this way of life, homes, school? A cross-section of America? A particular aspect of America? How interesting for Americans, non-Americans? In how much depth was the lifestyle presented? With how much realism?

4. Rick as a symbol of this way of life? The lifeguard? Audience interest in him as a character, his values? What did he stand for within this lifestyle? His involvement in his work, liking it? His involvement with people, the quality of the encounters, for example, his working with Chris and helping him, Wendy and her infatuation and his having to be wary? The boys and their discussion about sex, the holidays? The old men? His sense of freedom, involvement in nature and his gazing out to the sea? How much responsibility, possibility for relationships? A good way of life for such a man?

5. The question of his age and of his future? His attitude towards jobs, to the rat race, to pressures? How important to him was wealth, comfort, security? His visit to his parents and their attitude? Friends and their wondering about his future? Kathy and her trying to persuade him towards a secure future? The irony of the relay race where he felt his age?

6. How well did Rick confront his getting older: the importance of the reunion and his going to it, the atmosphere of nostalgia, the music, the effect of the reunion? Comparison of people when they were young and middle-aged? The discussion with Laurie and the possibility of a job? His attitude towards a persuading job, his attitude towards the personnel?

7. The importance of the holiday atmosphere, and the character of Chris: the details of their work together, attitude towards life, enjoyment? Breaking up fights, saving people? People's expectations of the lifeguards? How well delineated a character was Chris?

8. The women in the film: Wendy and her infatuation, precocious sexuality, her age, her waiting outside his cabin etc.? Rick's responsibility and sense for her? Kathy and the memories? Renewing the friendship. the liaison? Her way of life, gallery, child, divorce? At the reunion? The possibility of love for Rick?

9. How enjoyable were the sequences of the reunion: why? Attention to detail, people, audiences sharing in this kind of memory?

10. Rick's work with the car, the satirical touches on the rat race and persuasion?

11. Did he make the correct decision at the end? What future did he have?

12. The strengths of the film, the weaknesses? Realism, characters, caricatures? Values and the testing of values for living in the modern world?