Harold and Maude (1971)

Harold (Bud Cort) is a morose young man who comes from an upscale family. His dad is deceased. Harold spends a lot of his time attempting suicide--attempts that his mother (Vivian Pickles) ignores because he does them so often. One day, he's engaged in conversation by an unconventional elderly woman named Maude (Ruth Gordon). He resists her efforts at friendship in the beginning, but she presses on, and he finds a kindred soul. Maude is spry and full of life. Harold falls in love with her, to the dismay of society in general.

This totally quirky story with its dark elements is ultimately life affirming. Ruth Gordon is utterly charming as Maude, a woman who seems to have always lived life on her own terms. Outside of being an actress, Ms. Gordon was also a writer. Ellen Geer, who would later appear on TV's "The Waltons" has a role, and Tom Skerritt who starred on "Picket Fences" is in this movie, too.

My Bodyguard (1980)

Clifford (Chris Makepeace) is the new kid in a Chicago public school. He learns quickly that the students are ruled by a bully named Melvin Moody (Matt Dillion) who demands total obedience. Clifford approaches the one kid in school that even the bully and his cohorts whisper about: a brooding, hulking boy named Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin). Clifford overcomes his fear of Ricky to ask him to protect him from Melvin. What Clifford doesn't know is that Ricky's imposing demeanor hides a tragic secret.

Very charming movie that captures what it is to be the new face in an hostile environment. The teenagers seem like those that would be found in any school, anywhere. Joan Cusack (In & Out), whose parents ran an acting school in nearby Evanston, IL, appears as one of Clifford's friends. Another Chicagoland native, Jennifer Beals ("The L Word") is another kid among Clifford's crew. Martin Mull ("Fernwood 2Nite") and Ruth Gordon (Harold and Maude) portray Clifford's father and grandmother. Tim Kazurinsky ("Saturday Night Live") has a small part as a workman.