I'm writing this review mostly to make a political point: this movie dealt with race the way Obama dealt with it in his presidential bid: he didn't (okay, besides The Speech). Obama ran as an American first, and nothing else second. He crossed racial and class lines.

The Bodyguard takes the same approach. The story intrigues the viewer in such a way as to make him/her forget that the boy is white and the girl is black. Race is not an issue; there are other issues and the viewer gets consumed by those: celebrity, security, careers. The Bodyguard was ahead of its time in portraying a post-racial reality, placing it as a significant milestone in American film history.

The acting is solid; many criticized Whitney Houston, but she does a decent job playing herself. Kevin Costner is subtle and powerful in his role. The editing is excellent, moving the story quickly and captivatingly along. The music is phenomenal, of course, and Whitney adds extra punch to her role with her very real musical talent. The Bodyguard was a major hit of 1992 for good reason.

The Bodyguard (1992) You know, after seeing a movie like this, I sometimes wish I had a bodyguard who would rush me from the room whenever a bad movie appeared. But I don't, so I was forced to watch Kevin Costner as a former Secret Service agent trying to protect a superstar singer/actress (Whitney Houston). There's a lot wrong with this movie, and it gets sillier as it goes along. Let's look at a few of the problems: Costner and Houston have no chemistry together; first-time actress Houston being cast as an Oscar-nominated actress (whose acting we never get to see); a mystery I had solved in the first ten minutes; "tough guy" Costner only getting to beat up two out-of-shape guys who present no challenge; and a completely ludicrous climax that takes place at the Academy Awards, where the stars are shown arriving at night (!), with a killer who's smart enough to rig a gun inside a video camera but not smart enough to include a silencer! Whew! This one's the bottom of the barrel! A couple of good songs on the soundtrack do not a movie make!

Stars fade, in time. But, at the summit of her talents and her popularity, Whitney Houston was simply untouchable, a singing phenom and, lord, was she lovely. Being so photogenic, it was a natural that she dip her toe into cinema. Whitney made her film acting debut in 1992's THE BODYGUARD, starring opposite Kevin Costner, who himself at the time was riding on a film career high, coming off Dances with Wolves - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) and JFK - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition).

Costner plays Frank Farmer, an ex-Secret Service agent who now hires out as a private bodyguard. Frank's vocation requires him to live a solitary, almost austere life. He doesn't stay too long at any one assignment for fear of forming attachments to the people he safeguards. Considered the best, Farmer is tapped to protect music and film superstar Rachel Marron, who is being relentlessly stalked. Farmer reluctantly takes on the gig and immediately clashes with the spirited and temperamental Rachel, who rails at the restrictions Farmer places on her lifestyle. And, because the long-proven cinematic formula dictates that the intensity of the leads' initial mutual dislike is adversely proportioned to how heated the romance becomes, well, the sparks fly brightly between the stoic bodyguard and the tempestuous diva.

THE BODYGUARD, in 1992, was a box office moneymaker, undoubtedly helped by the spectacular soundtrack, but also because, in its own right, it's a decent thriller and an effective and bittersweet romantic story. The action sets are nice, my favorite being the "We won't talk about this again" kitchen discourse, although that was more of a one-way conversation from Frank. The hook is undeniably the prickly interaction between the two leads. I would think that a bodyguard, by necessity and by definition, would need to blend into the background. As such, Costner's bodyguard tends to be understated and very controlled. But every now and then, the actor's low key charisma does get a chance to leak out, as Farmer cracks a half-smile or three or makes the occasional straight-faced one-liner. And by having his character this impassive and guarded, Costner allows his female lead to shine. And Whitney's Rachel Marron certainly has that large personality.

Casting Whitney Houston was a stroke of genius and luck. In that time and place, who better to play the most popular pop star than the real deal herself? I thought that Whitney was a natural on screen, although critics shaved points off because, supposedly, she was only playing herself. But do you think a non-singer could've pulled off the musical sequences with as much conviction and credibility? Whenever she sang, Whitney Houston was in her element, and I totally bought into it and, consequentially, everything else that came with the role. And, lest you think she's a one trick pony, she would show even more of her acting chops in Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife.

There's this thing which Rachel's jerk of a manager tells Frank as he dresses him down: "I mean, look, she's so hot right now. This is her time. If she doesn't get out there, she's dead... If she doesn't sing, she's dead, anyway." This, coming from a tool, nevertheless is a stark commentary on the ephemeral quality of stardom. THE BODYGUARD has lost a bit of its luster down the years as Whitney's star waned. Not because she suddenly sucked or anything, but her troubled personal life did get in the way of her performing and producing records (thanks a bunch, Bobby Brown!).

And, since misery loves company, Kevin Costner, after a string of film successes, would soon churn out A PERFECT WORLD, THE WAR, and the career-crippling WATERWORLD (which I actually thought was a cool flick).

The key song was originally going to be "What Becomes Of A Broken Heart?" And who knows what Whitney would've done with that torch song (but it would've been great). As it is, we instead end up getting the fabulous remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." I eventually got sick of this song, because of the constant airplay, but I remember how well it framed the closing moments of the film.

Another thing I dug: Costner's white, Houston's black. This wasn't even a factor in the movie. How cool is that?

Who hasn't seen this movie if at all remotely curious, interested or fans of either megastar? The unattainable White Knight and IR relationship that may or may not move beyond confines. Can't imagine in real life, a clean end after such intensity. If you've ever gone there, you can imagine the real deal.

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