The Lifeguard

Leigh, a journalist approaching thirty, leaves her job and life in New York and returns to her childhood hometown in Connecticut, the place where she says she was last happy. She moves back into her old room, takes a summer job as a lifeguard and reconnects with friends who never left, including Mel and Todd. Her return unsettles their settled lives, and she drifts into adolescent habits. She also becomes involved with a troubled local teenager, a relationship that causes problems for the people around her.

The Lifeguard is a 2013 American comedy-drama directed by Liz W. Garcia, who also wrote the screenplay. It is the first of the two features she has directed, followed by Space Cadet in 2024. Kristen Bell plays Leigh, with Mamie Gummer as Mel, Martin Starr as Todd, Joshua Harto as John, Alex Shaffer as Matt and David Lambert as Little Jason. Twenty-two actors are credited.

The film runs 98 minutes. Audience reception was lukewarm: on TMDB it holds a rating of 5.5 out of 10 from 306 votes, and a film critics' rating of 4.4 out of 10 from 31 reviews is slightly lower still, suggesting neither critics nor viewers responded strongly.