The Life Guard is about cages, cages built by social restriction and physical restrictions. At the beginning of the film the main character Leigh (who is a journalist) investigates and writes a story about a tiger that was imprisoned and neglected in a small NY apartment. The story of the captive tiger is a parable for all of the struggles the characters face throughout the film. Leigh struggles with her emotional and physical needs and is shackled by the expectations of society that is slowly starving her passions and sense of humanity. Leighs friends all have basic instinctual human needs that are going unmet because of social pressures or restrictions from others around them. The character who most mirrors the tiger is Matt (Little Jason's friend), the dream of Vermont is a dream of escaping his particular cage.
Review of The Lifeguard
