Guarding Tess is a light, likable film that has good intentions and is easily entertaining. However, it is pretty forgettable and this film has similar themes and plot points as the much better film, Driving Miss Daisy. Both films are about a younger guy and an older woman going at it with each other before their relationship improved. But all in all, this is a good, light-hearted film.

Hugh Wilson's film is about a Special Agent Douglas who has been trained for the very best. Instead, he is assigned to keep watch over former First Lady Tess Carlisle. We realize that these two people have nothing in common and is very hard to get along.

The acting is solid. Shirley MacLaine is one of Hollywood's best and rumor has it that this role is very similar to her real-life persona. But, she was magnificent here. Nicolas Cage is also good and his role is very restrained for once. There are other wonderful 90's character actors that take up the screen including Richard Griffiths and James Rebhorn.

Overall, this is a delightful, mild-mannered film about two people with nothing in common defying odds so that they begin to respect each other. This is labeled as a comedy, but I can't see why. I hardly laughed, but this works very well as a drama. This film reminds me greatly of Driving Miss Daisy and I think that's a good thing. I rate this film 8/10.

I have reviewed a ton of movies. And, because of that, I have noticed a real sameness about most movies. So, it's really nice to find a film that has a plot that is very original and difficult to predict like "Guarding Tess". It's a film with comedic and dramatic elements...and it's well worth seeing.

Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine) is an ex-First Lady and a beloved institution. However, her public persona and her real life persona are quite different. Behind closed doors, she's a cranky and extremely difficult woman....and she drives her Secret Service detail crazy trying to protect her. In particular, she drives agent Chesnic (Nicholas Cage) batty with her many demands and unwillingness to follow the Service's rules.

The first half of the film mostly consists of Tess deliberately bating Chesnic and driving him crazy. In many ways, they seem like a cranky couple! This is fun. But then the film takes a dark turn...as Tess' unwillingness to listen gets her into a LOT of trouble. Where all this goes is something you'll just have to see for yourself.

The film worked because of the nice script and excellent acting. Fun and well worth your time....an underrated film, as the overall current score of 6.2 seems amazingly low for the movie.

Guarding the President of the United States is tough enough, but taking on a widowed former first lady can be shear hell on earth. Nicolas Cage gives one of his most vibrant performances as a special agent with the worst assignment possible: protecting Shirley MacLaine! Continuing her string of grumpy old women, it's gotten to the point to audiences don't know who the real MacLaine really is. Some eccentric student of the metaphysical or the grouchiest woman outside of Cinderella's step-mother. Certainty, ever since "Terms of Endearment", her characters have just gone from slightly cranky and cynical to downright mean. Sometimes, her characters just seem to get a huge thrill out of their nastiness.

Tess Carlisle is one tough cookie who could give Nancy Reagan a run for her money. Through her influence, Nicolas Cage is not permitted to leave her, and the questions arise is to just why she won't let him leave. It's obvious that he simply can't stand her and she certainly doesn't treat him with respect. So on his second term with her is a change for them as everything comes out to evaluate the truth behind her obsession with him.

Like the hysterical calls Ethel Merman took from Harry Truman in "Call Me Madam", this has the recurring gag of Cage getting calls from the unseen president complaining about calls he got from Tess. While we didn't hear Harry (only Merman),we do get to hear the President's voice, hysterically pretentious in the voice-over of Hugh Wilson. A huge cast of veteran character actors support Cage and MacLaine most expertly, especially Richard Griffith's as her cook and Austin Pendleton as her chauffeur. Edward Albety has a small role as MacLaine's son.

It takes a while but eventually, Cage does begin to see MacLaine as more than just the nasty witch she comes off as. She is a woman scared of her situation and troubled by being put out to pasture outside of the political arena. MacLaine slowly comes around too, and a touching bond is formed. As they get to know each other, she becomes a lot more compassionate to the others on her staff and learning to have fun again.

This isn't a film of great shakes but in character driven terms, it really works well. You have to just have some patience in dealing with MacLaine's over-the-top meanness. It is not clear that she is based upon any of the former first ladies who were still living at the time although Jacqueline and Nancy are mentioned. Perhaps one day we'll see "Guarding Hilary", but in the meantime, we'll have to settle for a fictional one.