The Guardian (2006)
How do you decide who lives or who dies?
Keywords
The Guardian rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
IMDb6.9/10· 103K votes
Rotten Tomatoes37%
Metacritic53%
TMDb7.134/10· 2K votesWith 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.9/10 on IMDb and 53/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been modest.
About The Guardian
A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's 'A' School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall teaches him some hard lessons about loss, love, and self-sacrifice.
Cast of The Guardian
Kevin Costner
as Ben Randall
Ashton Kutcher
as Jake Fischer
Sela Ward
as Helen Randall
Melissa Sagemiller
as Emily Thomas
Dulé Hill
as Ken Weatherly
Bryce Cass
as Manny
Omari Hardwick
as Carl Billings
Clancy Brown
as Capt. William Hadley
Neal McDonough
as Jack Skinner
- B
Benny Ciaramello
as Benny Partida
Shelby Fenner
as Cate Lindsey
- P
Peter Gail
as Danny Doran
The Guardian facts
- Budget
- $10M
- Box office
- $95M
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources
Audience opinions
What the audience liked
- •Heroic character arcs explore duty sacrifice and redemption genuinely
- •Ocean rescue sequences deliver technical accuracy and visceral tension
- •Respectful treatment of Coast Guard institution adds authenticity
What the audience disliked
- •Melodramatic emotional beats undercut realism during solemn moments
- •Romantic subplot feels tacked on and distracts from main narrative
Trailer
Where to watch The Guardian(US)
View on JustWatch →Subscription
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Amazon Video
Apple TV StoreAvailability may change. Data by JustWatch.
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