The Lifeguard

Name: The Lifeguard
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: August 30, 2013
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 34
Cast: Amy Madigan, John Finn, Joshua Harto, Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer

2013

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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The Lifeguard

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Movie Details & Credits

Screen Media Films | Release Date: August 30, 2013 | R

Starring: Amy Madigan, John Finn, Joshua Harto, Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr

Summary: Leigh (Kristen Bell) quits her job as a reporter in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager.

Director: Liz W. Garcia

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 98 min

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Critic Reviews

Gary Goldstein

Aug 29, 2013

The Lifeguard is a watchable, emotionally redolent trip down one woman's memory lane. Read full review

Joe Neumaier

Aug 29, 2013

The Lifeguard is one of those deceptive movies that, to its credit, winds up being about more than just an easy-to-describe tagline. In this case, that line would be: “Woman goes back to hometown, sleeps with high school boy.” Read full review

RogerEbert.com Sheila O'Malley

Sep 2, 2013

It's not the most original of concepts, and writer-director Liz W. Garcia struggles with the tone throughout, but The Lifeguard is often saved by Kristen Bell's sensitive and complex performance. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Jul 12, 2013

Lambert brings a forlorn dimension to his seductive young role, but Bell never really convinces as the older woman. Despite flirting with controversy, the actress seems reluctant to plunge fully into potential unlikability, nor does the film quite give her the chance. Read full review

Justin Lowe

Jul 12, 2013

Surprisingly for a writer turned director, the most evident shortcomings with Garcia’s feature originate with the script. With barely any backstory to support them, the characters consistently appear to lack the motivations necessary for their actions. Read full review

Film.com Jordan Hoffman

Jul 12, 2013

The Lifeguard is a painfully dull (alleged) drama utterly lacking in originality or self-awareness. Read full review

Eric Hynes

Aug 27, 2013

This drama is as listless and self-regarding as its protagonist, flitting among underdeveloped characters and subplots and indulging in rote emo shots by the pool, yet never figuring out how to dive into the deep end. Read full review

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User Reviews

ohisee

Jun 1, 2014

I am also mystified by this movies poor reception. I found Kristen Bell's desire to go home again to be completely relatable. I also *liked* the soundtrack, but I guess that was just me.

I watched this movie on a whim after seeing it on Netflix. I'm about the same age as Kristen Bell'sI am also mystified by this movies poor reception. I found Kristen Bell's desire to go home again to be completely relatable. I also *liked* the soundtrack, but I guess that was just me.

I watched this movie on a whim after seeing it on Netflix. I'm about the same age as Kristen Bell's character and not particularly thrilled with my career, so the idea of just saying "f*** it" and going home to live with the parents seemed like some good cathartic on-screen wish fulfillment, and it was. I did find the illicit romance to drag on a little, but overall it was a perfectly pleasant way to entertain the idea of dropping out and being a kid again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

skim123

Nov 12, 2013

I really don't understand the bad reviews this movie received. I watched it on a whim on Netflix streaming, so I went into it knowing nothing about it or how it was received. I went in completely raw and I really liked this movie. I have high standards when it comes to movies, and I don'tI really don't understand the bad reviews this movie received. I watched it on a whim on Netflix streaming, so I went into it knowing nothing about it or how it was received. I went in completely raw and I really liked this movie. I have high standards when it comes to movies, and I don't give something a good score if it doesn't truly deserve it. I wonder if there was some Hollywood politics going on that led to critics ganging up on this movie undeservedly (perhaps critics were too scared off by the taboo "sex with a minor" plot line that they were afraid to review the film positively for risk of being labeled "immoral" ).

Anyway. I also recently watched "Lost in Translation", and "The Lifeguard" deals with similar themes and handles them well. I'm not saying "The Lifeguard" is on the same level as "Lost in Translation", but this movie handled its ideas and themes well. It basically explores the very common existential crisis that people go through in their late 20's when they begin to question their decisions and reflect on their regrets. The late 20's is an age when people are finally coming out of the confusion of youth and are starting to reflect on themselves and solidify who they are. It is a time when many people slow down, analyze themselves, and often come to the realization that they've never really stopped to think about what they truly want. This movie effectively portrays the struggle that people face when dealing with these issues.

I found it pretty deep and engaging. The characters were quite believable to me, so I'm not sure why the critics said the characters felt forced or fake. I really related to the characters and their struggles. Many of the criticisms that the critics have mentioned with this movie could also be made against "Lost in Translation" (limited character backstory and a story that takes place within a short timespan), yet no one had a problem with those things in "Lost in Translation."

Again, it makes me think that politics were involved which led to critics unfairly skewering this movie for arbitrary reasons. I was baffled as to why so many critics ripped the movie for something as arbitrary as the soundtrack....seriously? I didn't even notice the soundtrack, it was just background music to me, yet many of the critics point to the "distracting soundtrack" as the thing that kills the movie. Who judges a movie on something as insignificant as its soundtrack? Again, it smells like critics decided to gang up on this movie so they had to come up with something stupid to criticize it for. The soundtrack? Really? Come on, critics...you've got to try harder than that.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

AWESOM-0

Jun 23, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a good movie with only a little statutory rape... Sorry, I know I shouldn’t joke because that is serious. All kidding aside, Kristen Bell is great in this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Jollybuzz

Oct 20, 2013

To call The Lifeguard a coming-of-age film doesn't quite do it justice. It is that, but it's not just a teenager who is coming of age. There is an almost 30 year old who is discovering that her life as a journalist in the big city hasn't quite turne out like she planned. There is a 17 yearTo call The Lifeguard a coming-of-age film doesn't quite do it justice. It is that, but it's not just a teenager who is coming of age. There is an almost 30 year old who is discovering that her life as a journalist in the big city hasn't quite turne out like she planned. There is a 17 year old who plans to drop out of high school and move far away with his best friend. There is another 30 year old woman who is on the edge of starting a family and is paralyzed with fear that she won't be a good mother. There is a third 30 year old who still lives in his hometown and has yet to come out of the closet. And finally there is a woman in her late 50's who is embarking on a second act in life and desperately needs to be taken serious by those around her.

The story centers around Leigh, the journalist mentioned above. She lives in New York City and works for the Associated Press. Even though she feels that her stories are serious journalism, her editor keeps putting them in the less serious sections. She is also having an affair with him even though he is engaged to someone else. When she finds it too much to bear, she decides to pack some clothes and her cat and heads off to her hometown thinking her parents will be more than happy to let her move back in. But when she arrives, she finds her old room being turned into an office and her mother doesn't quite give her the warm welcome she expected.

She also reconnects with 2 old friends from high school: one is a vice-principal at the same school they attended and the other is a closeted gay guy who runs an art gallery. She also gets her old job as a lifeguard at a neighborhood pool. There she meets a group of 3 young teenage boys who regularly skip school, smoke pot, and skateboard. This group of 6 become unlikely friends and Leigh gets too close to Little Jason, resulting in life-altering consequences for all of them.

When I first rented the film, I thought it was going to be a lot lighter than it was. I didn't expect the script to be so complex and thought-provoking. The performances are excellent. Kristen Bell is very different in the role of Leigh. She really shows her acting ability. Mamie Gummer is superb as the frustrated vice-principal trying to balance right and wrong and being a grown-up. But the break out performance is definitely from David Lambert as Little Jason. At first, he seems like a typical teen with not a lot going on inside his head. But he is just what Leigh needs. His face is so expressive and his range is well beyond an actor his age. I suspect we will see a lot of him in the future.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Bruce722

Jan 1, 2014

The Lifeguard is a fairly average indie film that shows potential but ultimately fails to capture and hold the viewers attention. The acting from Kristen Bell and supporting cast members like Mamie Gummer and David Lambert is very good and the story has so much potential in shining aThe Lifeguard is a fairly average indie film that shows potential but ultimately fails to capture and hold the viewers attention. The acting from Kristen Bell and supporting cast members like Mamie Gummer and David Lambert is very good and the story has so much potential in shining a perspective on many people nowadays who hit their "quarter-life crisis" moments and the internal struggles they face. The problem is that too much of the film focused around a strange romance between the protagonist and a high school student. While I understand the reasons for why Liz Garcia did this, I think it hurt the film more than helped. It created an interesting dynamic between the characters but it killed what I thought should've been the focus of the film... seeing Bell's character discover herself after being lost. Overall, not a bad movie but it could've been much better.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AmateurfilmVWR

Sep 1, 2022

I can do without the relationship with an underage minor but Kristen Bell is especially good here.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

csw12

Oct 24, 2013

The proper name for The Lifeguard should be called The Losers. You could not put together a worse group of low lives and scum than the characters in this film. The only thing that was worst was the script, which was dull, extremely poorly written, and produced subplots that were meaning less.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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