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Our movie guy, James Finnegan, looks at how one of tonight’s films on TV, ‘The Bodyguard’ came to the big screen…
When you consider all the components and stages that go to making a film, from the blank page right at the start, all the way to the final production that is released to the public, it is amazing that they happen at all.
So this week I am going to do a deep dive on one film. The Bodyguard (Saturday TG4 9.45pm) is a 1992 romantic thriller, starring Whitney Houston as Rachel Marron, a famous singer and actress who is receiving death threats from an obsessive fan.
Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) is a former US Secret Service agent who is hired to protect her. This is one of those films that was hated by critics and loved by audiences.
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However, you may be surprised to find out that the first draft of the script was written way back in 1975 by Lawrence Kasdan, a copywriter trying to break into the movies, and the film was to star Diana Ross and Steve McQueen.
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The script was taken on, ignored and rejected by various studios well over 60 times. Ryan O’Neal, who was dating Diana Ross, replaced McQueen, and then Ross left the project.
Meanwhile Kasdan was gaining a reputation as a writer/director who could update old genres and give them a modern twist, especially with snappy dialogue.
He worked on the original Star Wars trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Body Heat and Silverado, whose cast included the rising star that was Kevin Costner, who became interested in the Bodyguard script.
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After the Academy Award winning, and more importantly, box office success of Dances With Wolves in 1990, Costner had the clout to green light other projects, so the dust was blown off The Bodyguard folder.
Kasdan had always seen Rachel as being played by a singer and Costner agreed that it would give added authenticity to the film.
Whitney Houston was a very popular singer with multiple number one albums and singles, but her singing career had levelled off. She had acting ambitions, but had wanted to start off with smaller roles to develop her skills.
It was Costner who finally persuaded her to take the role. She already had the real experience of being in the public eye. Costner promised that he would guide her, as long as she did not take acting lessons!
Of course, an added bonus to having this talent to hand was what became the record breaking soundtrack, including Houston’s cover version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” which almost didn’t make the final cut!
The original main title song was to be ‘What Becomes of the Broken Hearted’ but that had just been used in Fried Green Tomatoes… so a new search was made, and it was Costner who insisted on the “a capella” opening.
There was talk of a sequel, with Princess Diana playing the protectee with a very similar plot to the original, and a remake staring Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth but as the original showed, these things can take time. Enjoy!
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