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"THE GUARDIAN" (2006) (Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Heavy Heavy None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Moderate None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate *None Heavy Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: After losing his crew in a freak accident, a legendary Coast Guard rescuer swimmer tries to mold a class of new recruits into accomplished rescuers. PLOT: In the history of the U.S. Coast Guard, Kodiak, Alaska based Ben Randall (KEVIN COSTNER) is one of their best rescue swimmers and considered a living legend by many, despite his age when most such people have retired from the job. But when a rescue goes bad and Ben not only fails to rescue some victims but also loses his partner Carl Billings (OMARI HARDWICK) in the process, he's shaken to the very core. That isn't helped by the fact that Ben's wife, Helen (SELA WARD), has moved out due to being tired of trying to compete with his all-encompassing focus on his work. Accordingly, his superiors assign him to teach new recruits at Barksdale Air Force's "A" school where instructors such as Skinner (NEAL McDONOUGH) aren't thrilled with his appointment. Nevertheless, he turns out to be a tough but fair teacher, including to the likes of hotshot Jake Fischer (ASHTON KUTCHER), a strapping and egotistical champion swimmer who's determined to break all of Ben's records. Along the way, the recruit falls for local schoolteacher Emily (MELISSA SAGEMILLER) who wants to keep things casual, and tries to help third-time recruit Hodges (BRIAN GERAGHTY) finally graduate. As Jake bends the rules about as far as possible, he clashes with Ben who tries to teach him and the other recruits that there's more to this profession than just physical prowess. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of someone in the cast or mentor/student type stories, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For intense sequences of action/peril, brief strong language and some sensuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: KEVIN COSTNER plays a legendary rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard who is so haunted by the past that he's pulled from active duty and reassigned to teach new recruits. In that role, he's tough but knowledgeable, and puts them through their paces. He also drinks and uses profanity. ASHTON KUTCHER plays an egotistical and physically gifted, but green recruit who learns the ways of his chosen profession while pushing the rules as far as they'll bend. He uses some profanity, has sex with Emily, drinks, fights, and is also haunted by a past tragic event. MELISSA SAGEMILLER plays a local teacher who knowingly has a casual fling (including sex) with Jake. NEAL McDONOUGH plays a drill sergeant type instructor who initially isn't happy about Ben's arrival and new position. Nevertheless, he puts the recruits through their paces, including Hodges. SELA WARD plays Ben's estranged wife who's moved out, having had enough of him focusing more of his time and energy on his work than her. BRIAN GERAGHTY plays a recruit who's trying out with the Coast Guard for the third time and must not only battle the instructors' efforts to force him out, but also his own self-doubts. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as are implied sexual encounters involving an unmarried couple (we hear playful innuendo from under the covers in one scene, but don't see any actual activity). Various shirtless men are seen in several scenes. Some dead and/or bloody bodies are seen in maritime accidents, and some brief fighting is present (also with some bloody results). Those scenes and some perilous rescue at sea sequences could be intense and/or suspenseful for some viewers. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, a couple's marriage is ending (various scenes involve that), some behavior may be enticing to imitate, and various characters drink, some to the point of inebriation. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some handheld camera footage at various points in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Ben chews up some Vicodin. Miscellaneous people drink at a wedding reception (at a restaurant) that the recruits crash (with one who was invited). We later see the recruits drinking beer there, as does Emily at the bar. Ben has whiskey by himself. Ben drinks a shot of liquor in a bar where others drink. His friend, the female bartender, says it's a good thing they have a bottle and half of liquor to drink. Jake and others have beer in a bar where Emily then orders a beer. Miscellaneous people drink in a bar. Seeing the tattoos on Jake's body, Emily playfully asks if that was from a drunken celebration gone wrong. He says it was something like that (we later learn he was the designated driver for his high school squad where all were killed except for him -- resulting in him tattooing their names or initials on his body). Talking about getting old, a middle-aged female bartender tells Ben that she drank, smoked and "screwed" her way through life, adding that getting old is something you earn. Jake tells Hodges, "Let's get a beer." We then see them drinking in one bar before heading over to a Navy bar where they continue drinking (as do others) and Hodges appears a bit intoxicated. Some Navy men aren't happy to see Jake and Hodges in "their" bar, so one confronts them, eventually pouring beer over Jake's head when he won't leave. Ben tells Jake, "I could use a f*cking drink," and the two then return to the above Navy bar where they have beer (and others there drink as well). Ben holds a beer while grilling, and Jake arrives with a six-pack (we then see the two having beer). BLOOD/GORE Ben and his crew arrive on the scene of another maritime rescue at night during a bad storm and we see bodies floating in the huge waves. After an accident, Ben rescues his severely wounded partner (whose face is burned and bloody). Ben has a few bloody scrapes on his face (in the hospital) following a deadly accident. Ben has a flashback of his former partner with a burned and bloody face. Jake and Hodges have bruises and scrapes on their faces following a bar fight. When Skinner grabs him around the neck in the pool again (in a training drill), Hodges struggles to break his grip. When that doesn't work, he elbows Skinner in the face, drawing blood. Ben has a flashback to his former partner's burned and bloody face. A man's face is bloody after a log slams into and knocks him out. A man who's been knocked out (and presumably killed) has blood on his face and from his mouth. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Jake initially only looks out for his egotistical self, rather than performing as a team player. One school instructor initially isn't supportive of Ben and his ways. Jake boasts that he just broke all of Ben's records, until a bartender comments on Ben's number of saves. The other recruits suffer for Jake not returning back to the base one night, and have to hold a kayak or something similar up in a pool as Jake is ordered to place heavy "bricks" into it. Some Navy men aren't happy to see Jake and Hodges in "their" bar, so one confronts them, eventually pouring beer over Jake's head when he won't leave. Jake then elbows him, another Navy guy tosses Jake back, and the female bartender hits someone, trying to control the situation. Ben and Jake go to the above bar where the same jerk from before comes over, makes trouble and Ben grabs and then smashes the guy's face repeatedly to the bar counter (no blood). Others then close in, but Ben and Jake agree to leave. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. We see Ben and his crew fly to a sea rescue at night in stormy weather with high seas. Ben is lowered down to help, but as he's rescuing a woman, her panicking husband tries to get onto the lift cage, prompting Ben to punch the man to make him let go. He then gets the couple up into the chopper where he performs CPR on the woman until she comes to and spits out some water. Ben and his crew arrive on the scene of another maritime rescue at night during a bad storm where waves wash across the troubled ship below them. The boat sinks and we see bodies floating in the huge waves, but Ben and his partner Carl then spot one survivor and Ben lowers down to try to rescue him. But wreckage in a huge wave then crashes into the chopper's tail, causing it to go out of control, crash and explode. The man in Ben's rescue cage is pulled underwater to his death, while Ben rescues his severely wounded partner (his face is burned and bloody) and gets both of them into a life raft, but the next morning the partner is dead (and the rest of the crew is presumably dead). We see underwater footage of people struggling in a net or something similar at night, but then see that this was Ben's nightmare. Ben has the recruits tread water for one hour in a pool, and we then see one man struggling mightily to stay afloat, and he grabs Jake to try to do so. Jake breaks his grip, and the man eventually gets over to the side to give up (he's okay). Ben then reprimands Jake for not offering to help, saying that they're a team. We see that Ben has the recruits swimming in a pool filled with ice, thus causing all of them (as well as Ben in there with them) to shiver and cramp up. One drill has the recruits split into pairs trying to push a large and heavy "brick" along the bottom of a deep pool, where only one at a time can surface for one gulp of air. While waiting his turn, Hodge starts to panic and looks like he might drown, but does manage to surface. Ben then realizes they're one man short and then sees that Jake is sitting on the bottom, holding his breath, waiting for his partner to return (he isn't panicking). Ben has a flashback to the accident that killed his partner and the rest of their crew. Ben has another flashback of his former partner with a burned and bloody face. We see footage in the classroom of various maritime incidents, including one ship that's completely on fire and seems to have people on the deck, burning (seen from a distance, and seen again later in the film as Jake remembers seeing that in the class). During training and done on purpose, Skinner suddenly grabs Hodge around the neck in the pool like a panicking victim might do. Jake and Ben jump into high waves right along the rocky coast where two kayakers are trapped in a cave. The two manage to swim into the cave (nearly hitting the rocks while being pushed by the huge waves) and find the men, one who's injured. Jake gets him out, and Ben tries to do the same for his, but that man panics and breaks free before a huge log smacks into him, knocking him out. Ben then has a flashback to the accident that took his partner's life and freezes, meaning Jake has to return and save both of them (which he does without incident). Some men are nearly washed off their boat at night by huge waves as Jake flies in for the rescue. After getting those up top to safety, he goes down below to find the captain trapped in rising waters. As the boat is rocked about, the man is knocked out and has blood on his head and from his mouth. The hatch door then slams shut and is jammed, with Jake trying to perform CPR on him, but then giving up when the man is presumably dead. As the boat continues to sink and fill with water, Ben is on his way in a chopper. When he gets there, he's lowered down, but his line gets tangled with the boat's rigging (as the boat is tossed in the stormy seas). He eventually gets down onto the deck, goes below and struggles to get that hatch door open as Jake is running out of space to breath. As a boat sinks below them, two rescuers are pulled back up toward the chopper above them, but the line starts to break, prompting one to loosen himself to fall (to save the other). That man then grabs the falling man's hand, but the latter undoes his glove, eventually causing him to slip away (after the first tries to hold on by the fingertips) and fall into the stormy seas at night, presumably sacrificing himself to save the other man. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "I could use a f*cking drink," "You don't have to take his sh*t," "Psycho-babble bullsh*t," "I don't give a sh*t," "Are you just sh*t stupid?" "Shut up," "My ass," "What the hell was that?" "Get that ass down," "Move your ass," "Hope don't float," "Where the hell are they?" "Get your ass out of the pool," "Chicks," "You're the man," "Losers," "Pansies," "Like hell," "This ain't no puddle-pilot bar," "Screw Skinner" (nonsexual), "Knuckleheads," "What the hell was that?" and "You suck at apologies." Jake has various tattoos on his body (including the names or initials of some former teammates), while others have tattoos as well. Some of the drills (being in ice water, having to move a large "brick" underwater as pairs, etc.) could be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. During training and done on purpose, Skinner suddenly grabs Hodge around the neck in the pool like a panicking victim might do. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of dramatic and suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 5 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("screwed"), 8 asses (1 used with "hole"), 5 hells, 1 damn, 3 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "For the love of God," "Jesus," "Jesus Christ" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY We see a shirtless and muscular guy. Jake bets the other recruits that he can get Emily to leave with him within a certain amount of time. She's wise to the bet, but agrees to leave with him for half the bet money (but once outside she leaves him, so nothing sexual happens). After a drill in ice water, we see all of the male recruits in a hot shower together, trying to warm up (only seen from the torso up). Emily shows a little cleavage. Emily knows the deal with Jake and his kind, commenting on them coming in every 18 months "to score with the local talent." Jake jokingly tells Emily that she has to stop undressing him with her eyes, adding, "There's no way you're getting me into bed." We then see him the next morning in her bed, as she's already up, thus suggesting they had sex. He tells her that she smells good and she says that she smells like him. We see Emily in a robe out of bed and Jake under the covers, shirtless, implying they've had more sex. Jake jokes to Emily that they can have completely meaningless sex after something. She then playfully asks if he thinks she's going to sleep with him on their first date (although they've already had sex). We then hear them under the covers where he says he's going to show her the "breast stroke" and butterfly as she giggles. Talking about getting old, a middle-aged female bartender tells Ben that she drank, smoked and "screwed" her way through life, adding that getting old is something you earn. Jake grabs Hodges around the neck to try to show him how to get out of a similar grip in a pool training drill, with Hodges struggling and then finally doing so. Seeing this (and making fun of the guy on guy action), some school officials who've arrived joke that they'll give them some time for a smoke and some pillow talk. SMOKING None, but talking about getting old, a middle-aged female bartender tells Ben that she drank, smoked and "screwed" her way through life, adding that getting old is something you earn. Jake grabs Hodges around the neck to try to show him how to get out of a similar grip in a pool training drill, with Hodges struggling and then finally doing so. Seeing this (and making fun of the guy on guy action), some school officials who've arrived joke that they'll give them some time for a smoke and some pillow talk. TENSE FAMILY SCENES After being rescued, a wife is mad at her husband for nearly costing her her life by panicking and interrupting Ben's efforts. Ben returns home to find that his wife, Helen, is moving out. They don't have kids, but she says it's "time for me to rescue myself." Ben calls his wife to talk about their situation, but she won't pick up the call after hearing him on the answering machine. Ben gives Helen his signed divorce papers, kisses her on the head, and then walks out. A woman grieves over her ex-husband's presumed death. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The U.S. Coast Guard, its duties and those who work for that organization. Mentor/student relationships. Marriages that end. Ben purposefully allowing Jake to break all of his school records. There's brief talk of the Coast Guard's successful role in saving people after Hurricane Katrina being due to the standardization of their life-saving techniques. Being haunted and/or motivated by traumatic events in one's past. Discussing those they've lost in the past (to accidents), Ben says the difference between them is that he doesn't wear the ones he lost on his arm (like Jake with his tattooed names or initials). Ben tells Jake that you have to save the ones you can and the rest you have to let go. Ben says the only number he kept track of is that of those he couldn't save (22). Ben quitting the Coast Guard for fear of freezing up again in another life-saving situation. The question about what makes a legend. VIOLENCE We see Ben and his crew fly to a sea rescue at night in stormy weather with high seas. Ben is lowered down to help, but as he's rescuing a woman, her panicking husband tries to get onto the lift cage, prompting Ben to punch the man to make him let go. Ben and his crew arrive on the scene of another maritime rescue at night during a bad storm where waves wash across the troubled ship below them. The boat sinks and we see bodies floating in the huge waves, but Ben and his partner Carl then spot one survivor and Ben lowers down to try to rescue him. But wreckage in a huge wave then crashes into the chopper's tail, causing it to go out of control, crash and explode. The man in Ben's rescue cage is pulled underwater to his death, while Ben rescues his severely wounded partner (his face is burned and bloody) and gets both of them into a life raft, but the next morning the partner is dead (and the rest of the crew is presumably dead). After Jake didn't help him stay afloat in a drill, another recruit purposefully bumps him while walking by. Jake then shoves him back and the two have to be separated. During training and done on purpose, Skinner suddenly grabs Hodge around the neck in the pool like a panicking victim might do. Some Navy men aren't happy to see Jake and Hodges in "their" bar, so one confronts them, eventually pouring beer over Jake's head when he won't leave. Jake then elbows him, another Navy guy tosses Jake back, and the female bartender hits someone, trying to control the situation. Jake grabs Hodges around the neck to try to show him how to get out of a similar grip in a pool training drill, with Hodges struggling and then finally doing so. Ben and Jake go to the above bar where the same jerk from before comes over, makes trouble and Ben grabs and then smashes the guy's face repeatedly to the bar counter (no blood). Others then close in, but Ben and Jake agree to leave. When Skinner grabs him around the neck in the pool again (in a training drill), Hodges struggles to break his grip. When that doesn't work, he elbows Skinner in the face, drawing blood. Ben orders them out of the pool, and Skinner seems mad, but he and Ben congratulate him on doing the right thing. During a rescue in a seaside cave, a huge log smacks into a victim, knocking him out. Ben then has a flashback to the accident that took his partner's life. A man who's been knocked out (and presumably killed) in a ship in distress (in high seas) has blood on his face and from his mouth. As a boat sinks below them, two rescuers are pulled back up toward the chopper above them, but the line starts to break, prompting one to loosen himself to fall (to save the other). That man then grabs the falling man's hand, but the latter undoes his glove, eventually causing him to slip away (after the first tries to hold on by the fingertips) and fall into the stormy seas at night, presumably sacrificing himself to save the other man. Reviewed August 31, 2006 / Posted September 29, 2006

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