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The Lifeguard

Play trailer Poster for The Lifeguard R 2013 1h 38m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
16% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 27% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A reporter (Kristen Bell) quits her job, returns to her old lifeguard duties, and has an affair with a teenager.
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The Lifeguard

Critics Reviews

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Sheila O'Malley RogerEbert.com 09/02/2013
2/4
"The Lifeguard" is hemmed in by vagueness and cliche, and nearly ruined by its soundtrack, an insistent barrage of thematically obvious alt-radio music cues. Go to Full Review Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times 08/30/2013
3/5
Although writer-director Liz W. Garcia's wistful, angsty tale treads familiar ground, the filmmaker has crafted a credibly flawed and conflicted heroine who holds interest. Go to Full Review Kyle Smith New York Post 08/30/2013
1/4
The central character simply comes across as whiny and entitled instead of troubled and dark, and the central theme of getting your groove back by acting like a kid again has been done many times by much more talented filmmakers. Go to Full Review JD Duran InSession Film 08/15/2024
D+
The third act does get better and leaves some room for you to get on board with what’s happening. Once it comes full circle, there’s a little relief but not enough to repair the damage already done. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 08/22/2019
Though featuring a handful of winning performances from an extremely likeable cast, writer/director Liz W. Garcia's debut, The Lifeguard, is about as original and realistic as its metaphorical title is gauntly vague. Go to Full Review Morgan Rojas Cinemacy 03/01/2019
The Lifeguard is not groundbreaking cinema or a heavy-handed story, but it succeeds in showcasing great performances from its actors. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alain E @AlainE 3d Before we get to the lifeguard part, there is an (adolescent) tiger in a New York City apartment. And we cannot blame Mamdani for that! Spare me the rest. On Prime. See more Nick W @RT62447671 10/06/2024 Well written sympathetic charecter study, even if the lead is just a doofus making very poor lifechoices. Brilliant performence by Bell and also the supporting cast. See more Patrick M @RT27989844 03/22/2024 Always love Kristin Bell. This movie was pretty slow. A little bit disappointed. I would have liked a different ending. See more 07/23/2022 ) Isn't it a crime for a 30 year old to be with a 16 year old? This film romanticized the idea. Really not a good idea to plant this seed into anyone's head. Really, really not a good idea. Otherwise, I thought the acting was good. I was truly appalled, though, that they took it to the statutory r*pe level. Not cool. At. All. See more 03/25/2022 Does anyone know why Jay decided to cancel the postcard he wrote to Leigh in the end of the movie? See more 02/08/2022 Like its characters, the movie struggles to figure out who it is & what it wants, but makes a strong third act comeback. Thoughtful & well-photographed, it gets weighed down by an obnoxiously pretentious indie rock soundtrack. #nitrosMovieChallenge See more Read all reviews
The Lifeguard

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Cast & Crew

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Liz W. Garcia

Director

Kristen Bell

Leigh

David Lambert

Little Jason

Alex Shaffer

Matt

Mamie Gummer

Mel

Martin Starr

Todd

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The Lifeguard

The Lifeguard (2013) The Lifeguard (2013) The Lifeguard (2013) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A reporter (Kristen Bell) quits her job, returns to her old lifeguard duties, and has an affair with a teenager.
Director
Liz W. Garcia
Producer
Milan Chakraborty, Liz W. Garcia, Joshua Harto, Ryan Alan Dearth
Screenwriter
Liz W. Garcia
Distributor
Focus World, Screen Media Ventures
Production Co
Attic Light Films, C Plus Pictures, La Pistola
Rating
R (Brief Graphic Nudity|A Disturbing Image|Strong Sexuality|Drug Use|Language|Some Involving Teens)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 30, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 23, 2016
Runtime
1h 38m
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