![]() ![]() The movie was originally written in 1975 by Laurence Kasdan, initially an advertising copywriter wanting to break into movies, as a vehicle for Steve McQueen and Diana Ross. Diana Ross and Ryan O’Neal were originally intended to be the leads in The Bodyguard. It is rumoured that Cardi B and Channing Tatum will reprise the lead roles in a Bodyguard remake. With rumours circulating that Channing Tatum and Cardi B will be reprising the lead roles in a remake of the movie, it will be interesting to witness the direction this new interpretation will take. It was a record breaking and music industry defining soundtrack and album. ![]() “The Bodyguard” was to Whitney’s career what “Thriller” was to Michael’s 10 years earlier. Today, 29 years after its initial release it still holds the records for the biggest selling soundtrack and album by a solo female artist of all-time. Whitney Houston passed away 9 years ago, on this day, and I thought it appropriate to reflect on one of her biggest successes, “The Bodyguard”, and associated releases from that album. It is still the second biggest selling soundtrack of all-time. Released in 1977 it shipped over 40million units worldwide, generated 4 No1 singles in the USA and held the record for 15 years. Prior to the release of “The Bodyguard”, the album that held the record for the biggest selling soundtrack of all-time was “Saturday Night Fever” by The Bee Gees. ![]() “Thriller” by Michael Jackson is a case in point, having shipped over 100million records (singles and albums) worldwide and “The Bodyguard” soundtrack by Whitney Houston is another. It is rare when both the album and singles, from an album, are equally successful and that is when an artist has a mega hit on their hands, with the success some recording artists experience in a career, off one project. So Glitter, The Fantasia Barrino Story, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Under the Cherry Moon - hold on, there is hope for you all, too.Sometimes an album performs well on the charts and ships millions of units worldwide, but the tracks fail to gain traction and sometimes the reverse is true. How when we're given some time and take into consideration the current crap-o-la climate of cinema today, we realize that panned movies like The Bodyguard can get a second life and weren't so terrible to begin with. I'm always amused at the attitudes people take when celebrity deaths occur and how we begin to look at things differently about that person and/or the work they did. This is what happens when famous people pass on - all the things we trashed are now treasured, and boy, do we go overboard with it (cause let's face it, "classic love saga" is a bit reaching in this case). ![]() See, all of this would have never happened if Whitney was still alive. It's now been upped a couple of stars (** ½ last time I checked), once on cable it was paired with An Officer and a Gentleman and touted as a "classic love saga" and now its getting the flashy musical - excuse me - romantic thriller musical treatment starring the great Heather Headley in the titillating role of Rachel Marron. I can't be the only one who was clowned on for taking up for and loving this movie for years? I can't be the only one who remembers that even though it became the second highest-grossing movie of 1992 with a killer soundtrack, it was still slammed by critics? That it scooped up six Razzie nominations, including one for Worst Film? That it was rarely shown on TV because folks always get itchy whenever we put interracial love stories on-screen, especially when it concerned two huge stars like Houston and Kevin Costner? The Bodyguard is entertaining romantic cheese whiz swirled on a Cheez-It and it got no love for 20 years. Not a euphoric one, but an "Oh really?" chortle, as it's a little funny to me that after a reformed attitude has befallen on a film that has often wallowed in "one-star" moviedom. So upon hearing that there is indeed a musical based on Houston's 1992 debut flick hitting London's West End this fall, I should be flinging jazz hands and clutching The Bodyguard DVD to my heart. I used to slay the recess hours in youth with my warbling rendition of "I Have Nothing." I am mad that Party City has not yet made a Rachel Marron "Queen of the Night" costume with a removable microphone headpiece. ![]()
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