Rick is a Los Angeles County lifeguard who is in his thirties. At his 15-year high school reunion, he sees his old girlfriend who is now a divorced mother. After falling in love with her, Rick considers changing his career and lifestyle.
Acting
Sam Elliott's effortless charisma carries the entire film.
Cinematography
Golden-hour California beaches that look like faded Polaroids.
Director
Daniel Petrie
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film captures the exact moment the 1970s beach culture curdled—post-Easy Rider, pre-Cocaine Cowboys, when suntanned freedom started feeling like a trap.
The studio marketed this as a sex comedy; audiences got a melancholy character study. It bombed. Sam Elliott reportedly still considers it one of his most personal performances.
US
