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Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) the
most decorated rescue swimmer of the U.S. Coast Guard, just had the traumatic experience of losing his whole elite team, including his best friend, while on a rescue mission on
the storm-tossed Bering Sea.
Physically and emotionally wounded, he is persuaded during the period of his recuperation, to take on the lighter job of head trainor in a school for rescue swimmers in Kodiak, Alaska. Here, he meets the most promising but also the most arrogant trainee Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) a champion swimmer. As Ben assiduously goes about his job of teaching the new recruits essential skills in survival and rescue, he has to contend with the antagonism between him and Jake. Moreover, he has to battle personal demons. He experiences nightmares and nightmarish flashbacks of his most traumatic debacle at sea, every time he sees a flare. Also, though still in love with his wife, his marriage is on the rocks. Trying to understand what makes the problematic Jake tick, he discovers a dark secret in Jake's past. Will Ben and Jake ever come to an "understanding"? Will Jake ever put to use the important lessons about the sea and about life that the master taught?
Though the plot of The Guardian
has little originality (it's the oft repeated story of the recalcitrant student clashing with the mentor but becoming the top graduate), and the discerning viewer can easily predict its outcome, it has other things going for it. The visual effects are very good. The location, the wave and water effects appear realistic. The equipment, costumes and sets give the film the look of authenticity. The ocean action scenes are masterfully executed. The rescue operations with the seamless integration of CGI, especially at the opening and the finale of the movie are gripping suspenseful and heart-stopping. The apparently sluggish middle section and the seemingly protracted training scenes make the movie longer than usual, but at the same time educate the viewer on the tediousness and rigors of coast guard training. Character development relies on the unfolding of the story, not on the emoting of the actors, although the acting by the leads Costner and Kutcher is excellent. Kutcher has shown that he can be a believable lead actor in more serious movies than the light comedies he is often associated with. The dialogue has some memorable punch lines like: "Honor your gift; save lives as much as you can."
The Guardian is a tribute to the courage, sacrifice, selflessness and commitment of that little known and even less appreciated group of heroes ---the rescue swimmers. The movie shows what difficulties they undergo to train and prepare themselves for the very hazardous tasks to which most of them dedicate their lives. The sea is often a powerful and ruthless antagonist especially in cahoots with stormy weather and there, these rescue swimmers put their lives on the line for others. They are true heroes who deserve the community's appreciation and gratitude. They are the stuff of legend. The movie shows a lot of positive values: that it is important to work as a team and never to think only of yourself especially in a crisis; that one must work hard to prepare for a task so as to do it well; that there is a need to sacrifice, to give of oneself "so others may live." Kevin Costner's character Ben taught his pupils not only how to behave at sea but also how to live life. At the end, he did what he taught. The value of marriage is also subtly enhanced in the subplots---Ben and his wife remain true despite their marital difficulty, while Jake and his girlfriend admit they do not really want just casual sex.
(Date Reviewed: 13 October 2006)
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