Project 52: 'The Lifeguard'
Posted Monday, October 7, 2013 at 4:58 PM Central
Last updated Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 12:29 PM Central
by John Couture
I know it's been a hot minutes since the last Project 52 and there's good reason for it. We've been busy behind the scenes making the site better and working on some really cool things that we really can't talk about just yet, but I promise you will enjoy them.
For those asking, the wife and I had a healthy baby boy on August 26 to complete our family (for now) with our 21 month daughter. Everyone is healthy and doing well.
As for Project 52, that too is doing well. Thanks to the extra time home with a baby that refused to sleep through the night, I was able to watch a lot of films. This review marks the 28th film for Project 52 and I'm happy to say that I've already watched another 12 films to bring the total of films watched this year to a nice, round number of 40.
While that's nice and all, there's still plenty of work to do in both getting the reviews up and to finish watching 12 more films before the end of the year. So, be on the lookout for a couple posts each week and a few double features as we finish the year with a flourish.
But enough about the future, let's talk about the present and a wonderful little film that coincidentally (or not) debuts on DVD this week.
The Lifeguard
As many of you know, my entertainment passions stretch beyond the big screen to its dysfunctional cousin, the boob tube. That being said, I never got into Veronica Mars (although the wife pledges to correct this before the film debuts), but I've always enjoyed Kristen Bell's work both on the big screen and on TV.
Perhaps it stems from the fact that we both hail from metro Detroit or that her particular blend of wit and sarcasm oozes from just about every one of her characters. Interestingly though, I think it's her down-to-Earth personality and the fact that she never let Hollywood change her. This trait, while seemingly simple is actually very hard to hold onto and it's usually the mark of an excellent actress.
In fact, she had a very minor one scene cameo in my favorite film from last year Safety Not Guaranteed that could have very easily been spun as nothing more than a star power boost to a quirky indie film. Instead, her performance was more real than attention grabbing and her demure nature simply allowed the film to live on its own merits, much like Jennifer Garner's performance in Juno.
But enough about the past, today we're talking about The Lifeguard and it's a film that I couldn't happier to discuss. It was written and directed by Liz W. Garcia who herself is making the transition from TV to film, so it's not surprising to see so much TV talent sprinkled among the cast.
I have to confess that I've been a pretty big Garcia fan for a while and I was a bit sad when they canceled the quirky Memphis Beat. So, needless to say that I came into this film with some pretty lofty expectations and that cover art only exacerbated things (but more on that in a moment).
Expectations are a funny thing. Sure, they could bias or shade your enjoyment of something, but I found, that for me at least, it works the other way. If I have high expectations of a film, I raise the bar (whether that's fair for the film is another discussion for another day) and am often let down when they don't meet those expectations.
Thankfully though, I can report that The Lifeguard not only delivered a solid coming of age film, but also one interjected with enough powerful scenes and social topics to give it just enough meat on its bones so as not to be easily forgotten. In a word, the film is memorable and in today's disposable society that's just about the best compliment that anyone can say about a 98 minute film.
You have to start any discussion on The Lifeguard with the actress who is literally on screen for almost every one of those 98 minutes. This role is a departure of sorts for Kristen Bell as she leaves behind the safety of her preferred comedic realm for the vastly more nuanced surroundings of drama.
On one level, The Lifeguard is the simple story of a woman lost who returns to her roots for much needed support before setting out again on her own path. But to simply pigeon-hole the film into a coming of age movie would be a major disservice to it.
Because of the interesting character arc, the film might just be the first love story between Generation Y and the Millennials. It seems like not a year goes by that we don't have another Mary Kay Letourneau story in which a female teacher is caught having sex or being in a relationship with one of her students.
As this is the crux of the film's main storyline, it's pretty refreshing to get a resolution that doesn't involve courts and public shaming. Contrast this film's resolution with say Election in which the male teacher is basically raked over the coals of Hell for his indiscretion with a student and either we've come along way in the last 15 years or there's a double standard based on the sex of antagonist.
Maybe, it's a bit of both. What I do know that Big Jason's line about the whole statutory rape of his son summarized it best. "Things happen. Keep moving or die." This was after he dropped the best father response ever to the assistant principal who apologize for letting her best friend have sex with his son. "For what? For my son getting laid?"
Some films might catch criticism here for not treating this turn of events more solemnly, but The Lifeguard earns its levity with the overarching story of what ultimately mattered more.
Having the protagonist of the film be a woman is refreshing because the tale of the returning prodigal son has been told too many times to even count. While some might complain about the stereotypical heartbreak overreaction, you have to realize that Leigh was betrayed not only emotionally by her boss but also professionally when her tiger story isn't given the importance that she thinks it deserves.
The tiger story is important because its significance resonates throughout the films. On face value, the tiger was taken out of its natural habitat and left to fend for himself, he died. Leigh sees that and mistakenly thinks that she is the tiger and the only way for her to survive is to return to her own habitat.
Ultimately through the course of events in the film, Leigh begins to understand that it wasn't the change in habitat that killed the tiger but the cage symbolized by the mesh wire that prevented its escape. Ultimately, she begins to see the mesh wire around her at home but it takes the jolting act of Matt's suicide to force her to act.
In the end, both Leigh and Little Jay are able to escape their cages and go their separate ways. A little postcard connects the dots, but whether they ultimately end up together isn't the point. The point is that two people with so little in common are able to find mutual moments of true love that will spark their lives. Much like the film's spiritual predecessor Harold and Maude, it's not about "Happily Ever After," it's about getting put back on the path to get there someday.
Oh yeah, I did promise something more about that exquisite art work, didn't I? Well, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but that is not Kristen Bell's body on the art. Through the wonders of Photoshop, her head was transposed onto a model's body.
Don't worry though, it wasn't the result of some extreme vanity on Bell's part, it just happened that she was very pregnant on the day that they shot the publicity stills for the film. Don't worry though, there are plenty of steamy scenes from the film, not gratuitous mind you, but certainly ones that reflect Ms. Bell's beauty.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention newcomer David Lambert and his great performance. He truly carried his own onscreen with his fellow, more experienced actors. He captured perfectly the awkward, consuming, raw passion of sexual inexperience in his first romantic encounter with Kristen Bell's Leigh. His "performance" improved as his confidence grew and it paid off tremendously when they find Matt's body in the woods.
I really enjoyed this film quite a bit and if I could I would probably settle on a rating between a Full House and Four of a Kind, both very strong hands. Ultimately though, it earns a Full House from me.
