Search - Guarding Tess on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Movie Release: 1994 DVD Release: 04/15/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 35 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 1 Genres: Comedy, Thriller, Comedy of Manners, Comedy Thriller, Odd Couple Film

A man trained for a life of excitement and danger is given a new and unexpected challenge -- minding a grouchy old woman -- in this comedy. Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage) is a Secret Service agent who takes great pride in his job, performing his duties with the utmost professionalism and always minding the details. However, his assignment for the last three years has been a severe test of his patience; Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine) is the widow of a former U.S. president who is well-known for her diplomatic and philanthropic work, and Doug has been in charge of her security force. But Tess tends to regard Doug less as a security officer and more as a domestic servant, like her chauffeur Earl (Austin Pendleton) or her nurse Frederick (Richard Griffiths). While Doug regards it as beneath his professional dignity to perform little chores around the house or bring Tess her breakfast in bed, she orders him to do so, and he's in no position to say, "no." Sometimes, Tess even refuses to obey Doug's security instructions, and should he argue his point too strongly, Tess will contact her close friend, the President of the United States, and ask him to give Doug a severe dressing down. So when Doug's three year hitch with Tess comes to an end, he asks to be given a more exciting and challenging assignment. However, Tess has other ideas; she's decided that she likes working with Doug, and she demands that his assignment be made permanent. Director Hugh Wilson also provides the voice of the President. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Shirley MacLaine - Tess Carlisle
Nicolas Cage - Doug Chesnic
Austin Pendleton - Earl Fowler
Edward Albert - Barry Carlisle
James Rebhorn - Howard Shaeffer
Richard Griffiths - Frederick

Hugh Wilson directs Nicolas Cage and Shirley MacLaine in the comedy Guarding Tess, which comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while English, Spanish, and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. Subtitles are accessible in all three of those languages as well. Supplemental materials include the theatrical trailer. This is a fine release from Columbia/TriStar that boasts excellent sound and picture quality. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide