She's a former First Lady. He's a top agent in the Secret Service, stuck in the worst assignment of all.

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Nicolas Cage, Austin Pendleton, Edward Albert, James Rebhorn, Richard Griffiths, John Roselius, David Graf, Dale Dye

DML Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ - above average

"The President is coming to Somersville. Will you have the cars and the machine guns ready in about an hour?" - Tess Carlisle

Why watch this? It's a subtle, brilliant film about the Secret Service's most tedious detail.

Plot Summary: After a Secret Service agent's assignment guarding a widowed former First Lady comes to an end, she unexpectedly demands he stay on as the head of her protection detail. His exasperation grows as he navigates her demanding and often manipulative personality, while also wrestling with his own professional aspirations and frustrations at being essentially relegated to a glorified errand runner. Despite their constant clashes and his initial attempts to be relieved of his duties, an unexpected event reveals a deeper, albeit complicated, bond between them.

Dad's Preview: US President's widows, apparently, receive Secret Service protection. One such lady is Tess Carlisle, the classic bitch-on-wheels (devilishly portrayed by spunky Shirley MacLaine). Most agents hate her, but she takes a particular liking to Doug, who is calmly effective at dealing with her cantankerous ways... then she is kidnapped. It was this film that made me say, "This Nick Cage guy can act."

Ned and Nancy Graham Tanen; Tristar Pictures