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.
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.