The clothes are dated, but the message isn't
Ahh, the 1970s...the decade that gets no respect, the decade when "nothing happened". Am I the only person who remembers that time with fondness and nostalgia? Maybe it's because I was in my twenties then, or maybe it's because it was back then that I had my first real love affair (Hi Marci! I haven't forgotten you!). Or maybe it's because it was the last decade before Reagan and the crazy right-wingers were able to get their greedy claws into this country and...uh, but I'm getting off topic. Well, whatever the reason, this low-budget, largely forgotten film really strikes a chord with me.When this film was first released in 1976, I remember that it was promoted as one of those idiotic beach and bikini comedies aimed primarily at teenagers. Those who went expecting that kind of movie must have been disappointed, because it's nothing of the kind. Oh, it has some skin and comic-relief moments, but mostly it's a fairly straight, serious drama about a thirty-something guy, Rick Carlson (Sam Elliott), who has reached a time in his life when he has to make some very important decisions. Up to this point he has been happily spending his life as a professional lifeguard at a southern California beach, but a little voice inside him is telling him he can't do this forever, and maybe he should start getting serious about life. He is starting to feel pressure , too, from others...family, friends, younger co-workers...all who want Rick to grow up and move on. But it takes a re-kindled romance with his recently divorced high-school sweetheart to get Rick to start seriously thinking about making some life-altering decisions. And that's the crux of the movie: should he follow his head or his heart?
For such a low-budget film the acting is pretty decent. Elliott gives a respectable low-key performance in his first "serious" role (prior to "Lifeguard" he was known chiefly as a TV character actor), and the rest of the cast is also pretty good. The standout is a young Kathleen Quinlan as Wendy, a lonely alienated 17-year-old who, in one of the film's subplots, develops a serious crush on Rick. When he finally succumbs to her advances and takes her into his lifeguard shack, a scene that could have been crude and exploitative is instead handled with tact and even tenderness, thanks to her skillful and nuanced performance.
The screenplay is thoughtful and doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence, and the director keeps the film moving along at a good pace and focused on the main character and his story. There is very little in the way of fluff and non-essential elements, and though it may seem like you have to deal with a number of clichéd situations, don't assume you've got this film figured out. The ending may surprise you.
And the atmosphere is pure 1970s...the real thing, not some stereotype-laden cartoonish costume-drama version of the 1970s. The cars, the clothes, the hairstyles, the slang, the music...even the hokey theme song by Paul Williams (remember him?!)...somehow it all seems just right. Take it from someone who was there.
I was a five years or so younger than Rick in 1976, but I could certainly relate to his predicament, and I'll be willing to bet that there are a lot of young people out there right now who could do the same. Check this movie out if you get a chance. Not a great work of art, maybe, but a fine little film with a message that will resonate with young people of every generation.
score 8/10
BeagleBuddy 29 April 2011
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2421289/35303
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