Kristen Bell and Mamie Gummer tackle the independent genre in The Lifeguard, the feature film debut from writer/director Liz W. Garcia. The film centers on Leigh (Kristen Bell), a 29-year-old New York City girl struggling with that age-old question, “what am I doing with my life?” An impulsive decision brings Leigh to quit her job as a reporter at the prestigious AP and head back to her childhood home in Connecticut to live with mom and dad. In what appears to be a regression back to her former teenage self, she takes up her old job as a lifeguard in a gated community center, and this is when the trouble starts.
Kristen Bell and Mamie Gummer on ‘The Lifeguard’ [WATCH]
As an audience member, you wonder at what cost is she willing to hold onto her youth? Leigh’s arrested development puts her in a vulnerable position when she begins flirting with Jason (David Lambert), a 16-year-old rebel skater boy who smokes pot and ditches school. His appeal is easy to see and for Leigh, it’s just the attention she needs to feel young and beautiful.
For Kristen Bell, it’s a darker, twisted side we see as she sheds her “good girl” image to play Leigh.
Mamie Gummer and Martin Starr play Leigh’s childhoods friends and they become extremely uneasy about her relationship with Jason. Their disapproval causes Leigh to hit rock bottom; she moves out of her parent’s house and feels like “little girl lost,” which is something the audience can relate to in one way or another. Acknowledging that she is out of control, she realizes that maybe clinging onto youth isn’t as romantic as she thought.
The Lifeguard is not groundbreaking cinema or a heavy-handed story, but it succeeds in showcasing great performances from its actors. For Bell, it’s a darker, twisted side we see as she sheds her “good girl” image to play Leigh. Gummer impresses as high school vice principal Mel who tries to be the voice of reason while struggling with personal issues between her husband (Joshua Harto) and herself. Lambert breaks away from his “Disney” image and plays Jason with edge and intrigue. So, if you’re looking to watch an easy film with that independent flavor and slightly scandalous subject matter, The Lifeguard may be just the film.
