Directed by: Hugh Wilson
Starring: Nicholas Cage
Shirley MacLaine
Edward Albert
David Graf
Brant Van Hoffman
Don Yesso
John Roselius.
Rated: PG-13 for one f- word
length: 99 min
Made in 1994

TESS is an elegant First Lady wrenched out of the White House by the death of her husband. A Secret Service detail of 7 men take to midwestern suburbia to guard her for life--And the conflict laced with comedy begins.

Tess has certain rules about guns in her house and who serves her breakfast. She seems to want to antagonize her bodyguards and puts them through their paces, while agonizing over her own lot in life and the secrets it holds. Since she is loved by the public, any complaint she makes receives priority from the President himself, which means a phone to the SAIC (Special Agent in Charge=Doug Chesnic/Nick Cage).

Sometimes she makes a break for 'freedom' by instructing her driver to speed down the highway without her 'detail' behind. During one such break, she's kidnaped. The FBI takes over and the big wheels of Washington descend on Ohio because they are all disgusted with Chesnic's failure.

It's fun to watch the clash of wills. Cage is a rookie compared to the resume of Ms. MacLaine, but he holds his own standing right next to her. His character goes through a prism of emotions, and Cage doesn't cheat his audience one bit as he plays all of them. Frustration, anger, bewilderment, embarrassment, professionalism, tender moments, humility, and stubbornness.

Though I am not particularly a fan of Ms. MacLaine, I can't think of anyone who'd play this part better. The wretched truth of growing old alone and in pain, and disappointments endured alone slaps the viewer in the face without a word coming from this actor. And the little gestures and quirks that she brings to this character will endear you to TESS.

You only hear the President's voice on the phone when he calls Chesnic to ball him out for various infractions. The director, Hugh Wilson, is that southern voice. The phone scenes are hilarious as he catches The Special Agent in Charge night or day.

The agents gathered to play the bodyguard detail must have been hand-picked, (except for one. You can pick him out. It looks like this character had been added at the last minute because of some agenda.) and some of them have worked with Wilson before in the Police Academy series. Each bodyguard has his own personality, and that brings added entertainment to this movie.

You'll see what I mean if you pick this movie for the popcorn hour.