My Bodyguard

My Bodyguard is a 1980 comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Tony Bill (his directorial debut), and written by Alan Ormsby. It stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin (his film debut), Matt Dillon, Martin Mull, and Ruth Gordon.

The film serves as the debuts of Jennifer Beals and Adam Baldwin, and Joan Cusack's first film where she plays a character in main credit.

Plot

Clifford Peache (Chris Makepeace) lives in a fancy Chicago hotel with his father (Martin Mull), who manages the hotel, and his wildly eccentric but loving grandmother (Ruth Gordon). Clifford spends his nights with his family relaxing on the roof garden and spying on the neighbors through a telescope. He is the new kid at Lake View High School, where he arrives in a hotel limousine.

Clifford becomes a target of abuse from a bully, Melvin Moody (Matt Dillon). Moody and his gang of thugs (Dubrow, Koontz, and Hightower) regularly terrorize and extort lunch money from other smaller, timid students, allegedly to protect them from a school outcast, the large, sullen Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin).

According to school legend, Ricky has killed several people, including his own little brother. A teacher tells Clifford that the only violence she's aware of from Ricky's past occurred when his younger brother died accidentally while playing with a gun.

Clifford works up the nerve to approach Ricky and asks him to be his bodyguard. Ricky refuses, but the boys do become friends after Ricky saves Clifford...
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