IMDb RATING
5.4/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
Young married couple Phillip and Kate Sterling, who have a newborn son named Jake, don't realize that their new nanny Camilla is a magical Druid who sacrifices infants to an evil tree.Young married couple Phillip and Kate Sterling, who have a newborn son named Jake, don't realize that their new nanny Camilla is a magical Druid who sacrifices infants to an evil tree.Young married couple Phillip and Kate Sterling, who have a newborn son named Jake, don't realize that their new nanny Camilla is a magical Druid who sacrifices infants to an evil tree.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Natalija Nogulich
- Molly Sheridan
- (as Natalia Nogulich)
Barry Herman
- Dr. at Birth
- (as Dr. Barry Herman)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJenny Seagrove was unhappy with the film's constant re-writes, and wanted to make a completely different film. She said to The Guardian in 2007: "It was about this druid nanny who became a tree. I begged Universal to make it about a real nanny who kidnaps babies. 'No, no, we can't do that,' they said, 'the thirty somethings in America won't come and see the film.' I said, 'I think you're completely wrong; this film is total fantasy, and it's just awful.' Two years later The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) was released, so I rang up my friend at Universal and he said, 'Don't. Don't even talk about it, you were right.' "
- GoofsAs the tree is being cut down, the movie keeps cutting back to Camilla, showing what damage it is doing to her. When the guy finishes cutting down the tree, there is a shot of Camilla and her left leg breaks off and she falls to the ground. The two shots immediately following, of the mother tackling her and then of Camilla being thrown out the window, both show her with her legs still intact.
- Quotes
Phil Sterling: You take your hands off my baby!
- Alternate versionsThere are two versions of "The Guardian": the theatrical cut, credited to William Friedkin, and a modified cut, credited to "Alan Smithee". The Alan Smithee cut has never been released on video but has been shown on cable. It includes new scenes including another scene in the hospital; different dream sequences; a scene of the nanny waking the wife up and alternate angles for other scenes. Also, the ending of the cable cut is different and omits much of the gore.
- SoundtracksPalau
Music by Not Drowning Waving (as Not Drowning, Waving)
Lyrics by David Bridie
Performed by Not Drowning Waving (as Not Drowning, Waving)
Courtesy of Mighty Boy Records
Featured review
I've seen this film now 3 or 4 times over the last 14 years or so, and everytime I'm amazed how bad it is and embarrassed that I'd forgotten and watched it again. It's bad filmmaking from start to finish, very sad when you consider who the director is. I can't for the life of me understand why Friedkin made this film, must've payed nicely but it's got "TV-movie" written all over it. The script is utterly bad, I'm sure Friedkin must've known because he doesn't seem to invest anything in the direction, it's completely flat and uninvolving save for the (thankfully) lack of music. The lovely Seagrove (ooo', British accent, scaaary villain) seems uninterested as Camilla while ex-Bond girl Lowell (sporting a terrible haircut) just stands around doing absolutely nothing pretty much throughout the entire film. Brown is probably best, giving it his all with a character as dumb as they come. Some other fine actors are wasted; Ferrer and Randle are seen in two short scenes, and Berkley in one - alright, so he was a bit-part player back then but still. The different babies playing the todler are given a rough-and-tumble time, snatched out of hands, pushed, and thrown around. This film is just a mess, it's boring, no sense of timing, badly paced and constructed. It's supposed to be a horror film, but it lacks the two all important ingredients - atmosphere and suspense.
- How long is The Guardian?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $17,037,887
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,565,620
- Apr 29, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $17,037,887
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