| Lifeguard | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Daniel Petrie |
| Produced by | Ron Silverman |
| Written by | Ron Koslow |
| Starring | Sam Elliott Anne Archer Stephen Young Parker Stevenson Kathleen Quinlan |
| Music by | Dale Menten |
| Cinematography | Ralph Woolsey |
| Editing by | Art J. Nelson |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 23 1976 |
| Running time | 96 mins |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Lifeguard is a 96-minute movie released by Paramount Pictures in 1976. It was directed by Daniel Petrie, based upon a screenplay by Ron Koslow. It stars Sam Elliott, Anne Archer, Stephen Burns, Parker Stevenson, and Kathleen Quinlan. Sam Elliott plays Rick Carlson, a 32-year-old lifeguard on a Southern California beach who's prompted to question his goals in life when he receives an invitation to his 15-year high school reunion. At this reunion, he meets his high-school sweetheart, Cathy (played by Anne Archer), now the divorced mother of a young son. They resume their past relationship and Cathy encourages Rick to take a job as a Porsche salesman, offered to him by another high-school classmate. Meanwhile, Rick must deal with Wendy (played by Kathleen Quinlan),a lonely teenage girl who has developed a crush on him. Lifeguard deals with the issues of conformity and materialism; Rick's eventual decision to stay on the beach, even at the cost of his relationship with Cathy, has echoes of the "do your own thing" mantra of the 1960s.
