“What makes a legend? Is it what someone did while they were alive? Or how they’re remembered after they’re gone?”
– Jake Fischer (The Guardian)
I absolutely love the movie The Guardian for so many reasons. I am a pretty big fan of Kevin Costner and the rest of the cast was quite impressive. This movie is about a relatively unknown career field in an overly misunderstood branch of the United States military. The United States Coast Guard does not get the acknowledgment and credit they are due, which is a mistake.
The Guardian is about the training of an elite group within the Coast Guard known as Rescue Swimmers. This is a member of the Coast Guard’s best. These brave souls respond to people in distress and facilitate rescue under some of the most dangerous or harsh natural conditions naturally possible. The strength, courage, and commitment to excellence are worthy of the highest praise possible.
In the movie, The Guardian, a seasoned veteran experiences a traumatic event and is ordered to return to the training school to teach the next batch of candidates while also trying to recover physically and emotionally from his experience. He encounters a young hotshot with a past that confuses the old salt as to why he is there. The journey takes them and us on a path that shows who they are and why they are in this life.
Most importantly, for me, is that The Guardian shines a light on an organization that deserves much more respect and admiration than they get. They don’t just fight drug runners and poachers. They jump into some of the most destructive forces nature has to offer to save human life and they do so with no hesitation. That kind of bravery and courage is truly inspirational.
Journeyman's Legacy 