Il bagnino

This is the movie to see when you want to fantasize about an alternative to the 9 to 5 lifestyle. It's not your typical beach party movie, but has real depth, as lifeguard Sam Elliott tries to decide what to do with his life, when he is forced to examine it after attending his high school reunion. I liked Sam's character, even with all of his imperfections, and I felt good about his choice. A bonus in the movie is getting to see Kathleen Quinlan as a teenager. She later went on to play a great role in the marvelous romantic movie "The Promise."

This is one of the finest films of the seventies. It deals with the complexities of life and society, and forces you to make a decision on what's important in life. Do we need to conform and fit into a society that has its own set of rules?....or is it O.K. to do what makes you happy as an individual, in turn giving you a better sense of fulfillment in life. Sam Elliott, Kathleen Quinlan, and Anne Archer, are all wonderful. This movie is a wonderful portrait of Southern California and the 1970's. Don't miss the chance to see it, you will not be disappointed.

This is a great document of the 70's...years from now, sociologists will study this film to try and make some sense of this most confusing period in American history. Fascinating because of its story as well as cinematic style which lingers over young bikini-clad chicks bouncing along the sand. The straightforward, politically-incorrect depiction of sexuality is discomfiting and somewhat dirty. The music is...I don't know what to say about the music. It just has to be heard.

Well worth the time and money. Lifeguard is a hit!

With a different type of role for Sam Elliott. Has some of my fave actors in it besides him-Anne Archer and Kathleen Quinlan. She is a cutie, Anne is as always class. I enjoyed the theme of doing what you Should be doing for a career VS. what you Want to do. It was something that hit home with myself, having worked some dubby jobs in my twenties ere finally getting that 'Real' career that everyone expects you to have by c.30, roughly the same age Elliott is in this flick.

I liked the poignant scenes of his 15 year High School reunion, the scenes of indecision he and Anne Archer undergo, trying to reconnect with what they had in their pasts, and the attempts to do something about it now. It is always hard to 'keep up with the Joneses' in High School, and as hard after too.

Overall a good flick, nothing great, hearfelt, well acted, plays like a TV movie(maybe it was? I donno)-but one of the highest order.

*** outta **** of course.

Is life-guarding a grown-up job? What does it mean to be a grownup, anyway? Who decides how people should spend their lives?

These are among the questions examined in this beautifully written character study of a man who has decisions to make.

They're not issues that will change the world, but the kind of small decisions we wrestle with every day. What is really important? Why do we do what we do? Who influences how we behave? Should we conform because that's what people want of us?

I remember once in TV Guide an ad that showed a buffed-out Sam Elliott with the caption, "He's every woman's dream--Lifeguard!" But this film has nothing to do with looks, and everything to do with character.

It's a terrific piece of work, ringing true in scene after scene.