A former valedictorian quits her reporter job 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... Read allA former valedictorian quits her reporter job 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.A former valedictorian quits her reporter job 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.
- Awards
- 2 nominations total
Adam LeFevre
- Hans
- (as Adam Lefevre)
- Director
- Writer
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- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I've got no experience with Veronica Mars, but I can see why people like Kristen Bell. She's real and relatable, as are all of the characters in this film.
At age 29, with her life in the city more disheartening and less complete than she ever expected, Kristen Bell's Leigh heads back home, where her two best friends (Mammie Gummer of The Good Wife and the familiar Martin Starr of Freaks and Geeks and about a million other comedies) are leading lives equally unperfected. During her aimless summer in her home town, she crosses paths with the local drop-outs, played sensitively and convincingly by a trio of young actors, including recently discovered teen actor Alex Shaffer of the Paul Giamatti film Win, Win, in a supporting role. Youthful indiscretions can't really cohabit with adult responsibilities, and the dramatic tension is ratcheted-up (if also resolved fairly easily) in sincere ways.
Nice production and a convincing story of early middle-age indecision with nuanced acting by a strong cast of recognizable faces adds up to a satisfying film.
At age 29, with her life in the city more disheartening and less complete than she ever expected, Kristen Bell's Leigh heads back home, where her two best friends (Mammie Gummer of The Good Wife and the familiar Martin Starr of Freaks and Geeks and about a million other comedies) are leading lives equally unperfected. During her aimless summer in her home town, she crosses paths with the local drop-outs, played sensitively and convincingly by a trio of young actors, including recently discovered teen actor Alex Shaffer of the Paul Giamatti film Win, Win, in a supporting role. Youthful indiscretions can't really cohabit with adult responsibilities, and the dramatic tension is ratcheted-up (if also resolved fairly easily) in sincere ways.
Nice production and a convincing story of early middle-age indecision with nuanced acting by a strong cast of recognizable faces adds up to a satisfying film.
The movie has its issues - the beginning is kind of strange, the characters are not developed well, as they could be...but still i liked the it because it has a spirit.
The spirit of nostalgia. Going back to the childhood, the time when we where happy and light- hearted. The life is scary, the growing up could be frightening.
The love story is extraordinary - a young man, almost a kid and a adult woman who is confused with her life. That love is a beautiful, impossible, elusive,passionate kind of love.
I don't understand why this movie has so many negative revues and rates. I don't find anything wrong, scandalous,immoral or outrageous in it. OK she is older, but what? You could fall in love at any age!
People in US consider the consent intercourse with 16-17 years old boy as something scandalous and almost a rape. But they don't find anything wrong when the 17-18 years old boys go to the American army to kill people.So you could go and kill people at the age of 17, but you must wait till 21 to buy a booze.Of course, if you have a relationship with an adult woman at age of 16 or 17 she must be put in jail for child abuse because you are minor:)))
The spirit of nostalgia. Going back to the childhood, the time when we where happy and light- hearted. The life is scary, the growing up could be frightening.
The love story is extraordinary - a young man, almost a kid and a adult woman who is confused with her life. That love is a beautiful, impossible, elusive,passionate kind of love.
I don't understand why this movie has so many negative revues and rates. I don't find anything wrong, scandalous,immoral or outrageous in it. OK she is older, but what? You could fall in love at any age!
People in US consider the consent intercourse with 16-17 years old boy as something scandalous and almost a rape. But they don't find anything wrong when the 17-18 years old boys go to the American army to kill people.So you could go and kill people at the age of 17, but you must wait till 21 to buy a booze.Of course, if you have a relationship with an adult woman at age of 16 or 17 she must be put in jail for child abuse because you are minor:)))
I thought this was a really good movie.
Whats bullshit is Netflix has movies like this with 1 or 2 stars that people don't watch and pass up because of the low ratings. I wish they would give IMDb ratings so that I could really gauge what to give a chance.
But anyways, again I thought it was a really good movie, with a realistic plot and story line. I thought it would have a "lifetime" feel to it but it had a life of its own.
If you don't have much to do, and you have an hour or two on your hands to watch a movie, I suggest this one.
Whats bullshit is Netflix has movies like this with 1 or 2 stars that people don't watch and pass up because of the low ratings. I wish they would give IMDb ratings so that I could really gauge what to give a chance.
But anyways, again I thought it was a really good movie, with a realistic plot and story line. I thought it would have a "lifetime" feel to it but it had a life of its own.
If you don't have much to do, and you have an hour or two on your hands to watch a movie, I suggest this one.
Going into this movie, I didn't know much about it. I had seen a few previews in theaters and I had seen it promoted online a few times. Beyond that, I hadn't even thought about this movie.
As far as comedy goes, the movie isn't really funny. It has a few "haha" scenes but I don't see why they labeled this as a comedy, it has very dark themes such as depression, drugs, and sexual relationships with minors.
I didn't know where they were trying to go with the plot. It was undeveloped and shallow. I didn't have any idea what kind of people the characters were even by the end of the movie, there was little to no background on all of the characters. The most comical of all of the characters was the seeming role reversal of two of the characters, you had a control freak husband and all he cares about is starting a family, while all the wife wants to do is go out and have fun. It just doesn't seem like it was practical. The relationships are just off.
I will say that Kirsten Bell looks fantastic in a swimsuit. If that's all you care about, you may enjoy the movie. However, if you expect a movie with a decent plot and story, you should probably skip this one. The Lifeguard certainly misses its target as a deep-thought movie.
As far as comedy goes, the movie isn't really funny. It has a few "haha" scenes but I don't see why they labeled this as a comedy, it has very dark themes such as depression, drugs, and sexual relationships with minors.
I didn't know where they were trying to go with the plot. It was undeveloped and shallow. I didn't have any idea what kind of people the characters were even by the end of the movie, there was little to no background on all of the characters. The most comical of all of the characters was the seeming role reversal of two of the characters, you had a control freak husband and all he cares about is starting a family, while all the wife wants to do is go out and have fun. It just doesn't seem like it was practical. The relationships are just off.
I will say that Kirsten Bell looks fantastic in a swimsuit. If that's all you care about, you may enjoy the movie. However, if you expect a movie with a decent plot and story, you should probably skip this one. The Lifeguard certainly misses its target as a deep-thought movie.
The good news is this film cannot be placed in one of the common genres.
The directing was good, the scenes gave depth such as the vacant pool shot from a low height and the close ups of the characters inspired an emotional response.
The acting seemed appropriate to the story, the story did not connect with me so the acting seemed just adequate and not great by any of the characters
I saw several previous films combined in The Lifeguard. Summer of 42 for the coming of age element. The Year of Living Dangerously for tiger in the apartment. And her bus trip to and from NYC was reminiscent of many 'you can't go back' movies.
Her parents reminded me of the televangelist fans in Repo Man.
Overall I usually defend Kristen Bell and her acting was okay but was this the right movie for her?
The directing was good, the scenes gave depth such as the vacant pool shot from a low height and the close ups of the characters inspired an emotional response.
The acting seemed appropriate to the story, the story did not connect with me so the acting seemed just adequate and not great by any of the characters
I saw several previous films combined in The Lifeguard. Summer of 42 for the coming of age element. The Year of Living Dangerously for tiger in the apartment. And her bus trip to and from NYC was reminiscent of many 'you can't go back' movies.
Her parents reminded me of the televangelist fans in Repo Man.
Overall I usually defend Kristen Bell and her acting was okay but was this the right movie for her?
Did you know
- TriviaKristen Bell felt she first had to run the script by her fiancé, actor Dax Shepard, before she undertook the role because of the steamy love scene. "I wanted so badly to be a part of it," she told Vanity Fair, "and I gave the script to my significant other and I said, 'Do you want to read through this? It is a really graphic love scene. Do you want to talk about it?' He said, 'You know what, I don't care. I trust you. As long as you don't come back pregnant, I don't care.' And I came back pregnant (they found out she was pregnant with her fiancee's baby), which we always joke about."
- GoofsWhen Mel and Josh are reconciling about making a family together outside the school, the boom mic pole is visible on the car while they talk.
- Crazy creditsAfter the last credits, a photo of Leigh is shown from when she was a lifeguard during her high school period.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.190 (2013)
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- Cankurtaran
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- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
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- 1.78 : 1
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