Doug is a Secret Service Agent who has just completed his stint in charge protecting Tess Carlisle—the widow of a former U.S. President, and a close personal friend of the current President. He finds that she has requested that he not be rotated but instead return to be her permanent detail. Doug is crushed, and—after returning—wants off her detail as she is very difficult to guard and makes her detail crazy with her whims and demands.
Acting
MacLaine and Cage's chemistry is volcanic, ridiculous, perfect.
Writing
Dialogue that zings—Hugh Wilson's sitcom roots showing.
Director
Hugh Wilson
Shirley MacLaine
Tess Carlisle
Nicolas Cage
Doug Chesnic
Austin Pendleton
Earl
Edward Albert
Barry Carlisle
James Rebhorn
Howard Shaeffer
Richard Griffiths
Frederick
John Roselius
Tom Bahlor
David Graf
Lee Danielson
Don Yesso
Ralph Buoncristiani
Brant von Hoffman
Bob Hutcherson
Harry Lennix
Kenny Young
Susan Blommaert
Kimberly Cannon
Dale Dye
Charles Ivy
James Handy
Neal Carlo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cage based his rigid posture and walk on actual Secret Service agents he observed; MacLaine reportedly improvised many of her most cutting lines.
This bombed in 1994 but became a cable TV staple—it's essentially the blueprint for 'The Devil Wears Prada' but with government pensions.
US
