The Lifeguard (2013) User Reviews (81)

heavily dependant on life circumstances

[manicmeuk · 6/10 · 31 August 2013]

where to start on this one...

i think opinions on this film will be formed from personal life experience and how much someone can relate to the characters. myself, I'm similar in age and circumstance to Leigh and recently made a life change much like hers (moving back home from the city) and while the mistakes and tumbles she makes are outright irresponsible, i could not help but like her character and the maturity she showed at the end.

the romance aspect of this movie, whilst most definitely *inappropriate* does reflect the mental state of the main female character played by Kristen bell. stifled by her routine adult life and the responsibilities that come with it, she finds solace in a younger group who bring out her inner teen as it were. i think this is extremely well portrayed in the film through the three main adult cast members, who were friends in highschool, that upon the return of Leigh (KB) all suddenly start to regress and rebel against the adult strains put on them. all three characters go a little wild and forget that 'time only moves in one direction' and their subsequent battles to re-balance themselves as adults was interesting to watch.

the strength of the young actors in this film prevented it from becoming smut. David Lambert had enough charisma that it was plausible that a confused and disturbed woman would be drawn to him, whilst still maintaining that young innocence that made the story equally as much about him maturing as it was about KBs character. Alex Shaffer was impressive and moving in his portrayal of a tormented young man.

could it have been done better? absolutely. does it contain inappropriate feelings and relationships...obviously yes. Does it convey the ability of people to mess up in the most stupid irresponsible ways....yup. i liked it. i wouldn't watch it again, but it was a good film. comedy it is not however and the tag-line cheapens the movie.

A Drama about Searching for Fulfillment

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 3 December 2013]

If you are looking for a neat package of a film with all the loose ends tied up with a pretty ribbon, this film is not for you. And as we all know, life is not that way either.

If seeing an older woman with a young man nauseates you, don't watch this film. Frankly, I wonder why some people never read about movies before they watch them. Then they are shocked to discover the themes of the movie.

Kristen Bell plays a 29-year-old woman who has grown disenchanted with the big city and her life there. She returns to the small town where she grew up, and moves back in with her parents.

This action can be described as irresponsible, simply because she is looking for a respite from responsibility. In fact, she returns to the Lifeguarding job she used to have.

She reconnects with old friends who have remained in the home town. They also have issues regarding responsibility and self-actualization.

In an attempt to regain the freedom of youth--and its passion--they start hanging out with some high school kids. This leads to some risky behavior. The rest of the plot relates to how this dangerous situation plays out.

I thought the acting was good. I especially enjoyed seeing Amy Madigan as the mother. Back in the day, I really enjoyed her in To Live and Die in L.A.

The movie Lifeguard, starring Sam Eliott in 1976, also dealt with a main character who is a lifeguard and who struggles with the issue of responsibility. I recommend it.

The main thing I can say about this movie is that it feels something like how real life is. People make mistakes. People come to crossroads. People sometimes search for answers without really having a clear understanding of the questions.

Good movie

[playboi-96678 · 7/10 · 4 January 2017]

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.

'The Summer of '42', just 70 years later.

[TxMike · 27 March 2014]

We found this one on Netflix streaming movies. We found it to be better than the IMDb rating would suggest. It is a mature theme, a 29-yr-old high achieving lady working in Manhattan, about to turn 30, and both work and relationships conspire to throw her into a dark place.

Kristen Bell, who was actually about 32 during filming, is the main character, Leigh. We later find out she was class valedictorian some 12 years earlier, and none of her friends were surprised that she became an award-winning writer. But inside she was lost, and it seemed she just wanted to be a little girl again.

The movie isn't clear about where it is set, but we know it was filmed around the Pittsburgh area, and at least one of the teenagers was wearing a Pittsburgh tee-shirt. So I'll go with that. But it is an attractive suburban type of community, one where you can walk a short distance and be in the woods.

Leigh informs her parents that she will stay with them for a while. Aimless she decides to take a job she had as a teenager, lifeguard at the local pool. She meets some teen boys, about 16 and 17, and she instantly identifies with them.

This confuses her good friend from high school, Mamie Gummer as Mel, who is now assistant principal at the school they graduated from. Plus Mel has her own set of issues, she and her husband seem to be trying to get pregnant, but she isn't sure she would be a good mom. She regresses also to some "teenage" behavior.

The other key character is David Lambert as Little Jason, son of the pool maintenance man. (The character is 16 or 17, but Lambert was 19, almost 20 during filming.) He and Leigh seem to be kindred spirits, she helps him see the possibilities in life, while she sees him as the embodiment of the unfulfilled love life she thought she wanted.

I thought this might be a light romantic comedy but it is far from that. It is about coming of age, but with a twist that the two 30-ish women had never really come of age. There are some pretty raw and explicit scenes depicting sex between a 29-yr-old woman and a 16-yr-old boy, which is shocking to most. I instantly found myself wondering what if it had been a 29-yr-old man with a 16-yr-old girl. It seems movies are more accepting of a teenage boy and an older woman, as in "The Summer of '42" and "Life According to Garp", just to cite a couple of others.

It is hard to "rate" this movie, it isn't "enjoyable" in the usual sense but I found it to be very realistic, and it illustrates how navigating through life sometimes is very unclear. While Leigh was a writer, not a teacher, it seems virtually every week we read about a female teacher getting found out having an intimate relationship with one of her male students. The movie reflects real life.

Kristen Bell is good as always. The rest of it...well...

[mharah · 4/10 · 26 September 2016]

The script is mediocre. The dialogue is particularly clunky. Liberal use of the F word is not offensive; it's just awkward. Kristen Bell is always good, but she seems to end up in one unworthy role after another. (I wasn't a big fan of Veronica Mars, but it was a quality project and should have resulted in better roles than this.) Plenty of problematic scripts get made into movies. Part of the actors' jobs is to make them work. Silk purse out of a sow's ear, as they used to say. Gummer and Starr and Madigan all seem to think that overacting is the answer to the challenge. It isn't. Sincerity isn't achieved by overacting. Lambert's character has some wonderful moments and some very weak ones. He could have benefited from the strong hand of a director, but there is little evidence of that in this film. Shaffer, so wonderful in Win Win, is completely wasted here. All in all, Bell fans will probably need to see it. (With no make-up, she looks every bit her real age.) The rest of you can skip it.

Bad Plot Development? Oh well, Kirsten Bell!

[Aptosblue · 6/10 · 1 August 2013]

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.

Summer of 42?

[toddxdavis · 5/10 · 21 February 2015]

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?

It is about love - one unusual, but beautiful love...

[DesiAnge · 7/10 · 20 February 2017]

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:)))

A boring indie flick about hopelessness

[KineticSeoul · 3/10 · 29 October 2013]

This is actually quite a depressing movie, although it's realistic and there is people that go through these types of circumstance. I for one, know few people that is going through the stage portrayed in this flick. Even when they are successful, they still have that nostalgic feeling. As a matter of fact I think this applies to a lot of us out there. But this one goes in a more crossing the line direction. The plot is about a woman that is going through a bit of life crisis and doesn't have a sense of direction where her life is headed. Thus decides to become lifeguard at a small pool, in a small town. Soon she begins a relationship with few minors and escalates into something sexual. It's like the writers thought just because your hot, female and depressed, it's okay to have sexual relationship with a minor. And the audiences will still have sympathy for that character, since she is hot and female. It also has another character that is going through the similar situation as the lifeguard, and decides to join in. Although this is a character that has a husband and has her life basically set in some ways, unlike the lifeguard. But still feels unfulfilled and unhappy. Maybe I missed the point of this movie, but it just becomes depressing and lacked hope. Even if it can be a realistic movie, it really lacks when it comes to some the enjoyment factor. And there are films that are depressing or even tragic that can be enjoyable. This one just doesn't reach that level though. It goes from one depressing scenario to another. This flick is basically a characters that goes through those nostalgic feelings and wants to be irresponsible again and relive the past. Which for most people, you can't really do. It's not really a coming of age film, since these characters are young adults but characters that reach the age of young adults, but still feeling lost. Although the different approach, it just lacked the development needed. I personally didn't feel like I gained anything from watching this, and just felt like it had subplots that went nowhere. Like what is the change? To sum this up, it's a depressing and unsatisfying flick that goes nowhere.

3/10

Kristen Bell gets an A for effort

[callanvass · 6/10 · 12 December 2013]

A reporter (Kristen Bell) quits her job due to unhappiness and contempt for her job. She decides to return home to Conneticut, and moves in with her parents. She gets her old lifeguard job back, and starts up a controversial relationship with a troubled teenager, and even alienates her childhood friends. This movie is a bit better than the IMDb rating indicates. It's certainly flawed, but the fantastic performances and the powerful subject nature help propel it over the hump. I think the reason I was able to relate to this movie, despite the fact that it left me feeling a little cold was that I'm in a similar predicament that Leigh (Kristen Bell) is in during this movie. I may not have fallen in love with a teenager, but my life fell apart as soon as I began to grow up. It's only natural to revisit the place where you last felt truly happy. My main problem with this movie is that everybody is in disarray, and they are unlikable people. Leigh only cares about herself, Mel (Mamie Gummer) is a head-case, and her husband (Joshua Harto) is a selfish ingrate, who I wanted to slap silly. His whiny character was so grating. We get the obligatory ending where everybody begins to find themselves, and all is forgiven. The storyline between Bell & Todd (The teenage love interest for Bell) was especially hard to endure. Kristen Bell is absolutely terrific. It might just be her best performance. Her character is a bit unlikable and selfish, but she is so winning in her role, that it didn't bother me all that much. I'd gladly try and help sort her life out. Martin Starr is truly impressive as the teenager, Todd. I felt for him on many occasions, even if his character background was a bit thin. I'm not sure what I fully thought about this movie. It left me in heavy thought, it engrossed me, and I admired the message, but more likable characters would have been nice. It's worth a watch

6.3/10

If they had cut out the KIDS..it may have been OK..

[mcgill_j · 3/10 · 13 August 2013]

honestly this whole BIG thing about this movie is that Kristen Bell has a sex with a minor. The film itself tonally strives soooo hard to really hit the mark along the lines of something like "Garden State". Just even some of the music choices.. it just like like that was so bad what it wanted to be. Add to that the complexity of the relationship seems to be the huge draw of the film, but sadly its the greatest downfall of the film that is played up to the detriment of the rest of the film.

I mean.. did we have to have that element? In fact.. If you had taken that completely out and had the film been about a traumatized girl coming back and wreaking havoc on her friends' lives as they try to move on to the next stage. The biggest casualty in this I think was Martin Starr whom had great moments to shine, but very few and would have been nice to see him developed.

This holds true with the rest of the characters as well.. They get thrown into a tailspin.. Bell sleeps with the minor. Hells breaks loose and somehow at the end, everything gets kind of put back right.

That really is the disservice the film does. In focusing on that relationship which just feels like some device in the last act. It's almost like its just dropped and never really thought of again. Some "relationship". That was the largest problem I had with the film, unlike so many others filled with flashes and bangs that feel so hollow is that this film that could have had so much promise is similarly in the end just as hollow.

Satisfying Story of Young Adult Indecision

[matthew-bonness · 8/10 · 30 July 2013]

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.

Bell Chimes Loudly in a Lackluster Film

[danew13 · 6/10 · 10 August 2013]

The Lifeguard's script was its weak point...a rather shallow pad job for a film that could have been 20 minutes shorter. It strong points were performances by Kristen Bell and Mammie Gummer. It was great to see Bell, sans makeup, in a serious dramatic role, even though it was this rather lightweight domestic chick flick. One thing, it's obvious this wasn't intended to be a comedy.

I disagree with some other reviews knocking the two female leads. Both seemed quite realistic to me in our hedonistic age. As for Bell's trysts with her teenage lover...that seems to happen quite frequently in real life these days. It's just lucky that in the film the boy's father didn't mind.

The main downside of the story was the lack of any dramatic resolution. Bell's character wound up getting into a purely sexual relationship, the same type that had her flee from the big city to her hometown. And in the end she still hasn't found love.

Not the actors' fault it fell flat.

[rcoakley · 4/10 · 10 January 2021]

Kristen Bell and David Lambert were both good in their roles. Unfortunately, the movie didn't know what it wanted to be. The music generally failed to match what was happening on screen. The finally song is upbeat and light, and doesn't fit the atmosphere at all. It's like the director was aimIng for an upbeat, light movie of self-discovery, and completely missed the mark as this is not at all what the movie conveyed-nor should it have been the goal. It could have been so much more.

Painful waster of time.

[t-rutt · 2/10 · 4 June 2017]

Boring and disjointed. Why is this sometimes billed as a comedy? My guess is because the makers knew it sucked, but figured OK Kristin Bell, maybe we can leverage goodwill from folks who like Saving Sarah Marshall and con them into seeing it. Uneven tone, tries periodically to be quirky. You won't care about or believe these characters. The scene where she stands up to the police because they are harassing the teens for skating is one of the most hackneyed things put to film in the last 10 years.

Spoiler alert: this movie stinks on ice, but it will put you to sleep faster than a sominex chased with some NyQuil.

Works if you've had a similar life experience

[slackline70 · 6/10 · 7 March 2019]

It's easy to see why not everyone loves this film. It's just not all that funny. Or exciting. Or inspiring. Worst of all, it doesn't leave you with any sense of accomplishment or insight.

It works, however, if you can relate to this movie as an adult who has ever gone through a period of your life where you just wanted to go back to a simpler time.

I was able to relate in particular because like Leigh in the movie I actually went back to being a lifeguard in my 20s after graduating from college and not really knowing what to do with myself. And like Leigh, things didn't really work out entirely as I planned them to. Was it a good move? I'm a happy I did it? Did I learn anything from it? Hard to say really.

Similarly you're not going to find a lot of definitive answers in this movie as to whether the heroine makes choices that are right or wrong. But if you've had a similar experience - you'll feel like she's a friend.

Like a trashy paperback romance novel

[themissingpatient · 2/10 · 10 August 2013]

Kristen Bell is Leigh, a 29 year old reporter living in New York who suddenly realizes how unhappy she is with her life. Leaving everything behind, she hits the road to return to the small town she grew up in, moves back in with her parents and starts working as a lifeguard.

What could have been a fun comedy about hard working adults trying to go back to being carefree, irresponsible teenagers instead plays out as a bad dramatic comedy that is neither funny or emotionally moving. It's hard to tell whether the screenplay was written by someone who had no idea what they were trying to do or if most of the film is improvised. Kristen Bell seems like a real-life sweetheart and does a good job playing lost and somewhat depressed but it is not any fun or insightful to watch. We are not given any reason to like her character, who comes off as a selfish, lazy spoiled brat.

About half-way through the film takes a turn from boring to morally questionable as the story becomes something you'd find in a soft-core pornographic paperback romance novel. The director tries to play it as sexy but it's just plain uncomfortable. Exactly how much of a selfish spoiled brat Leigh is, as a character, is made clear. Unless you're an older woman with a lust for teenage boys, it's hard not to grow a hate for the character and loose all respect for the film.

The Lifeguard sounds like a good idea for an indie comedy but all potential is lost in the execution and where the writer/director decides to take the story. You're better off picking up a trashy romance novel at your local grocery store.

Complex, yet captivating!

[jessicagale3 · 7/10 · 28 August 2013]

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was drawn in by Kristen Bell's character Leigh's lines, "I am allowed to be confused and stumble once in a while," which highlights a place that everyone finds themselves in at one point in their lives.

While living in New York, Leigh lets her work override her life, completely ignoring the sordidness of her relationships and being in denial about her situation. Her decision to return to her hometown forces shifts between her parents and her friends, creating divides, that she is (for the most part) oblivious to. Her decision to return to the position to a life guard seems to revolve around the idea of reliving the ideal job, however, once she starts hanging around a bunch of misfit teenagers, she transcends back into her past. The relationship she develops with 'Little Jason' is the most complex element of the film, as it alludes to so many different things. There a sense of romance, lust and a maternal nature that left me feeling ambivalent. However, I did recognize that there was definitely love there, which is something very few people have mentioned in their reviews. The other struggling being is that since first seeing Kristen Bell on Veronica Mars I still see her as a teenager.

On first glance its hard to identify with Leigh, you see her as a distraught, downtrodden member of the corporate world, who is hiding behind the allure of yester-year. As time goes on, its easy to recognize that Leigh's plunge down the rabbit hole is a result of not wanting to accept the reality around her - or remove this idealistic memories she has of her youth.

Personally, I believe it is Kristen Bell's relationship with David Lambert's character that make the film. But also leave you with unanswered questions. A film that deserves to be watched; but also considered from various different angles.

Existential Angst in a Red Swimsuit

[JamesHitchcock · 3/10 · 8 August 2014]

Leigh London, a 29-year-old journalist living in New York, finding that she has become disillusioned with her job and her life in the city, decides to quit and return to the small town where she grew up. (The exact location of her hometown is not made clear, but a reference to "Hartford" suggests it may be in Connecticut). Her father is delighted to see her; her narrow, fault-finding mother much less so. She renews her acquaintance with some old friends and returns to her old job as a lifeguard at the local swimming pool.

While working in this job she meets, and becomes friends with, a teenage boy named Little Jason. Before long Leigh and Little Jason are more than just good friends; they have become lovers and started a passionate affair. The film then follows all the complications which ensue from this illicit relationship, complications which involve not just Leigh and Jason but several other people as well.

Most of those on this board who have criticised this film have done so on the alleged basis that it "glorifies paedophilia". I would disagree with that criticism for two reasons. The first is that those making it fail to realise that "paedophilia" means "sexual attraction towards pre- pubescent children", and there is no way Little Jason could be regarded as pre-pubescent; he is supposed to be around 17, but David Lambert was actually 21 at the time. (His nickname "Little" does not imply that he is a young child or even that he is particularly diminutive- indeed, he is a tall, gangly youth- but he is so called in order to distinguish him from his father, Big Jason). The second is that this film is far too dreary to glorify anything.

"The Lifeguard", in fact, is the sort of pseudo-intellectual indie movie which is so dreary that it makes you realise that there is sometimes something to be said for the most mindless Hollywood mega-blockbuster. All the characters seem to exist in a permanent state of depression, although the causes of their low spirits are not always made clear. We never really learn just why Leigh is so disillusioned with life in the Big Apple, although as she has own a prestigious prize for journalism lack of success or recognition in her chosen profession cannot be the answer. One character is, quite literally, driven to suicide by the failure of a project to relocate to Vermont. Just why small-town life in Connecticut is apt to bring on a state of suicidal depression which can only be cured by immediate relocation to the other side of the State line is something I leave to those more familiar with New England than I am. Although I suspect that even they will be baffled.

None of the actors stand out apart from the actress playing Leigh's friend Mel who stands out because of her resemblance to a young Meryl Streep. (There is a long subplot involving Mel's failure to conceive a child, much to her husband's frustration). Upon looking at the cast list I noted that she was played by Meryl's daughter Mamie Gummer. All I can say is that Ms Gummer has some way to go before she can match the standards of her famous parent.

The poster for this film, showing its star Kristen Bell looking very fetching in a red swimsuit, might lead the unwary to think it has something to do with "Baywatch". It hasn't, apart from the fact that its main character is a female lifeguard. I suppose you could describe it as "Baywatch" meets Samuel Beckett, existential angst in a red swimsuit. It is an indie movie for those who hate indie movies, but only if they need to be reminded just why they hated them in the first place. 3/10

It's A Mass Of Confusion Like The Lies They Sell To You

[TheAnimalMother · 7/10 · 2 January 2021]

There are all sorts of different perspectives on this film and most of them not so good it seems. At the same time quite a few people seem to have enjoyed it a lot as well. I think you either get the feel of the film or you don't. It's sort of aimless as a film and all of its main characters are struggling with aim, direction. The water theme flows with the film as these people to some degree are all floating along on waves of life so to speak. Sometimes sinking. I think the film probably deserves more credit than it's gotten. The film is about being confused in life, confused about yourself and your direction, and as such I'd say it definitely works. If you get into the film, it is able to capture that unstable feeling. Sort of like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is able to capture that feeling of complete chaos with its ending. It's actually very similar, but yet very different at the same time. This is far from a great film, but it's also a lot better and more interesting than your average Hollywood flick. A lot of the critics have said that the film doesn't reveal character motivations, or flush out enough from the characters backstories and the like, but not every film is about deep character introspection or understanding. Not every story needs to be built this way. Nor does every character need to be overly explained in standard ways. This film really doesn't overly need or want that. Many of the critics were just too confused to understand the confusion hence film past its surface. Take off the boring and jump in the water! 7/10

Don't even know why i watched it...

[mayurkaria19961 · 1/10 · 4 September 2013]

The lifeguard is about a reporter who quits her job and goes back to her hometown. She is looking for a job and and she becomes a lifeguard. She's got two old friends in the town which she starts to hang out with. She doesn't care about her life anymore and she only wants to enjoy. This is when a struggling 16 year old boy comes into her life. She starts a relationship with him and it goes on until one of her friend finds out about it. Leigh the lifeguard then decides to end the relationship before more people finds about it. That is basically what the movie is about. It is 98 minutes of nothing. Everyone's performance was average or below.

I would end this review by telling you not to watch it because you will only regret it and you'd think what else you could have done in those 98 minutes.

The Lifeguard Review

[thefilmfan1990 · 8/10 · 31 July 2013]

Liz W. Garcia may not be the most veteran film director out there, but her new movie, The Lifeguard, may very well bring her name to the forefront of director's putting forth real quality work. Garcia is normally a screenwriter which is why I felt that The Lifeguard was a movie that captures the real spirit of people in a quarter life crisis. As I am 22, I felt like I could relate to the struggles, protagonist, Leigh deals with in her effort to relive the simplicity and innocence of her childhood home in Connecticut. Overall, the story is brought to new heights with the outstanding performances by a cast including the likes of Veronica Mar's star Kristen Bell and Freaks and Geeks alum Martin Starr. Garcia really hits home with a story that will resonate with young adults everywhere, reminding us all that growing up never gets any easier.

love the three actors

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 November 2015]

Leigh London (Kristen Bell) is 29 and ten months old. She's a reporter in NYC. She feels lost and moves back in with her parents (Amy Madigan). She reconnects with her school friends Mel (Mamie Gummer) and Todd (Martin Starr). Mel is the high school vice-principal and struggling to get pregnant. Todd is still in the closet. Leigh gets her old lifeguard job at the pool. She befriends pool maintenance guy's teenage son Little Jason (David Lambert) and they become more.

I really love Mamie Gummer and her struggles. I like Martin Starr also and his story could be expanded. Kristen Bell's story is probably the least interesting of the three. I still like her but it's not like she's having a grand romance. It would be better to have more time with Gummer and Starr. It takes too long having sexy time with Bell and Lambert. I didn't think it was that type of movie. There is also the character Matt. He is a big part of the ending. He should have been a much bigger part of the story. The movie should spends more time with him than the little section with Todd. He should be a bigger character. Both Matt and Little Jason are not particularly compelling. I love the three main actors but this isn't quite special enough.

Boring and terrible

[hjames-97822 · 1/10 · 5 April 2015]

In my top 5 worst films ever. Liz Garcia who both wrote and directed this junk should reconsider her career options. Perhaps selling plastic ware on the party plan would be better. How did she ever delude investors into funding this? You will note most of the top reviews come from Kristen Bell fans. I am not. I find her skills mediocre at best. But even she struggles with this terrible script,. Not to mention she's getting a little long in the tooth to keep playing the Baywatch drone.

Garcia promoted this as a "dark comedy." Well no one is laughing. Her actors never even crack a smile. This was supposed to be the story of a bright young woman about to turn thirty facing her first serious life crisis. What it really is, is the story of multiple acts of child sexual abuse. Bell's character is supposed to be 29 (she was 31). David Lambert's Jason is supposed to be a 16 year old boy (he was 19 at the time). They have shaved his body to make him appear as young and adolescent as possible.

No one--I mean no one--in this story comes to his rescue. Not the perpetrator Leigh, not his Dad, not his school's assistant principal, not any of their friends; no one. He thinks he's in love. In reality, he is being totally and completely used and abused in every way and no one at all ever is called to account or pay for the abuse. Everybody gets a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card one way or the other no matter how flimsy the excuse.

I assume that's because we have a double standard for boys and especially teen characters. Had Ms. Garcia written a screen play in which there is a graphic scene (or two) involving a 16 year old school girl being pursued and used sexually with drugs by a 30 year old man would Sundance have even screened it? This is one of the most tasteless films for it's concept(not nudity) I have ever seen.

Fortunately for the actors no ones career got hurt. This dog had no legs. Garcia and Bell tried to sell it as "graphic" to line up distribution but that didn't fly either so it went almost immediately to DVD. Watch it if you must. If you are a Bell fan, you'll like it. Mostly she only has to show up in a red bathing suit and she can get at least 8 stars. I finally just threw my copy away.

Failed to deliver.

[Bruce722 · 5/10 · 1 January 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 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.