The Bodyguard

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The Bodyguard
DVD cover - The Bodyguard
Directed by	Mick Jackson
Produced by	Kevin Costner Lawrence Kasdan Jim Wilson
Written by	Lawrence Kasdan
Starring	Kevin Costner Whitney Houston Gary Kemp Christopher Birt
Music by	Alan Silvestri
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	November 25, 1992 (USA)
Running time	130 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

For other uses, see The Bodyguard (disambiguation).

The Bodyguard is a 1992 film directed by Mick Jackson, with a script by Lawrence Kasdan, and starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

1 Plot
2 Reception
3 Background
4 Soundtrack
5 External link

[edit] Plot

A stalker is obsessed with singer and actress Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston). She hires former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) as a bodyguard.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Farmer and Marron have a relationship, though it might not be classified as "love," although it is initially flirtatious, increasingly more sexually awkward, and then eventually sexual.

While at a fictional Academy Awards, the stalker tries to kill her, but Farmer jumps in front and is shot. He lives, and Marron and Farmer go their separate ways.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Reception

The film is one of the top 100 grossing films of all time, grossing 410.9 million dollars at the worldwide box office, though it never made the number 1 spot at the U.S. box office. It is currently ranked #77 on the IMDb's World-Wide box-office. Shortly after its release it became the 10th highest grossing movie of all-time.

[edit] Background

The film was originally proposed in 1976 with Steve McQueen and Diana Ross in the leads. After McQueen fell ill with cancer it was proposed again in 1979, starring Ryan O'Neal and Ross again in the leads. The project fell through due to irreconcilable differences in the relationship of the two stars. * Costner states that he based Frank Farmer on Steve McQueen; even cutting his hair like McQueen.

Madonna was considered for the role of Rachel. She can be seen being informally rejected for the role in her documentary Truth or Dare. This takes place during the scene where Madonna meets with Costner.

During recording of the song "I Will Always Love You", there was some difficulty arranging the cover until someone suggested that Whitney Houston sing the first verse without instrumental backing, and that version became the one used in the film.

[edit] Soundtrack

Main article: The Bodyguard (soundtrack)

The soundtrack to the film is the best selling soundtrack of all time with over 17 million copies sold in North America and 42 million worldwide. Houston's cover version of "I Will Always Love You" is the most successful cover tune ever (the song was written and originally performed by Dolly Parton).