Cage protects Shirley in this mainly forgotten comedy
There’s no questioning the embraceable power of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse from anyone and everyone who has seen it, whether they be fanboy, movie critic, or both. The hotly-anticipated movie arrived this past weekend, already having proven itself to be a game changer in the animated superhero genre as well as a highly innovative, far-reaching take on one of Marvel’s most iconic characters. With a collection of different incarnations of the title character, the most notable and exciting has to be the presence of Spider-Man Noir, voiced by movie icon Nicolas Cage.
It’s another stand-out role for the Oscar-winner, who already boasts a career filled with phase after phase of offbeat choices from every end of the movie spectrum. In honor of Cage’s appearance here, I couldn’t NOT choose a past favorite of the actor’s to write about. Since I’m saving both Bringing Out the Dead and Snake Eyes for the next time Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma release films, I thought I’d give a shout out to Cage the comedian with a tribute to his underappreciated 1994 comedy Guarding Tess.
Written and directed by Hugh Wilson, Guarding Tess stars Cage as secret service agent Doug Chesnic, whose dreams of rising up the ranks are continuously put on hold thanks to the efforts of former First Lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Tess insists that Doug remains in her detail, despite the fact that neither one can stand the other. As their time together continues, a battle of wills escalates between the two as Doug tries to maintain his composure amidst all of Tess’s maddening demands.
As one would guess from the general premise of the film, Guarding Tess operates as quite a solid “buddy” comedy with two protagonists who drive each other mad to no end. Things get moving rather quickly, with the movie opening on Doug’s supposed last day with Tess before being surprised when the head of the secret service informs him that Tess has called the President himself and requested that he remain as part of her detail. What is seemingly the ending is actually the beginning. “I can’t do three more years there. I can’t do three more minutes there,” he calmly says to his boss upon hearing the earth-shattering news. Not only is Tess insistent that Doug remain by her side, but she intends to have fun with him along the way. “I have some exciting news for you,” she tells Doug in one scene. “I have an inoperable brain tumor. I have bought you and your men a scud missile launcher. We are going to the opera in Columbus. Which of those do you think is true?”
Wilson knows how to explore the premise fully, bringing out moment after moment of the kind of hilarity which would ensue between a hard-nosed secret service agent and a crotchety former First Lady. There’s a fun scene in the kitchen with the hotel staff theorizing who would win in a fight between Tess and Nancy Reagan and another featuring Doug and the rest of the detail taking over a grocery store on Tess’s behalf, using their technology for price checks on canned goods. The reason the dynamics between both central characters work can be traced to the delightful way they taunt and test each other. A road trip featuring Tess, Doug, and the rest of the detail cannot begin until Tess obeys a rule of protocol which states, for safety reasons, that the First Lady may not sit behind the driver. It is a rule Doug means to follow and Tess does not, leading to the entire party sitting in their cars with another agent exclaiming, “Jesus, let her sit on the hood if she wants to!” Doug’s stubborn streak is just as strong as Tess’s quietly sadistic nature, and both wholeheartedly make Guarding Tess work.
Aside from the comedy of Guarding Tess, it’s the characters themselves and what they represent which give the film some soul. It’s easy to sympathize with Doug, a man trying to make a name for himself in the field, but instead frustratingly stuck forever wanting more than he’s achieved from both his career and his life. It’s also easy to show empathy towards Tess, a once-adored public figure who is now faced with the disillusioning task of finding out who she is and what, if anything, life has in store for her. Unable to trust anyone for fear of ulterior motives, Tess’s reliance on Doug is understandable; he can’t stand her enough to want anything from her, making him eternally trustworthy. There’s a definite sadness to both Doug and Tess and the loneliness they share. Both in a way have been forgotten and have trouble accepting the current state of their lives. When things take a sharp turn in Guarding Tess’ third act, Doug’s devotion to Tess is greatly tested, and the movie suddenly becomes a touching comment on affection and admiration that actually exists between the two.
The prospect of Cage and MacLaine starring in a movie together is a curio all its own, as the two make for most unlikely of duos. The fact that such a team works as well as they do says a lot about the strength of both performers’ talents. Despite coming from two different schools of acting, Cage’s wild energy mixes with MacLaine’s classical presence perfectly. The reason the two are able to make Guarding Tess such an enjoyable experience is that they are both smart and willing enough take on the role of the straight man and succeed by putting their own twists on it. At the same time, both actors are afforded moments when their characters lose patience with one another, leading to even funnier moments in what amounts to a comedic tug of war of sorts.
Despite the uncharacteristic pairing of its two movie star leads, Guarding Tess was not considered much of a hit at the box office. The movie managed to make back its production costs, but not much more than that. The majority of critics likewise reacted coolly to the film, with most dismissing it as a carbon copy of past titles. Still, MacLaine did receive a bit of awards attention for her work with a Golden Globe nomination.
Throughout his career, Wilson was no stranger to crafting situations ripe for hilarity and exploring them to their fullest. His greatest television effort, WKRP in Cincinnati, remains a beloved 70s favorite; titles such as Stroker Ace and Police Academy helped shape the voice of movie comedy in the ‘80s; and ‘90s projects as diverse as The First Wives Club and Blast from the Past showed the writer/director’s versatility and energy when it came to the craft. Guarding Tess remains lost in the filmmaker’s resume, however, which is a shame as it is one of the most stand-out offerings in both its comedy-driven premise and the heart that’s found in its center.
