Exchange Lifeguards

Exchange Lifeguards, known in the United States as Wet and Wild Summer!, is a 1992 Australian-American comedy film directed by Maurice Murphy and starring Christopher Atkins, Julian McMahon and Elliott Gould.

Premise

A property developer wants to take over an Australian beach for a high rise resort. He sends his son to Australia to check out the situation, posing as an exchange lifeguard. He falls in love with a woman who owns the land his father needs for the development and finds himself sympathising with the locals.

Cast

Christopher Atkins as Bobby McCain
Julian McMahon as Mick Dooley
Rebecca Carlton as Julie Thomas
Vanessa Steele as Charlene
Elliott Gould as Mike McCain
Richard Carter as Al Eastman
Amanda Newman-Phillips as Kylie
Christopher Pate as Richard Gray
Lois Larimore as Donna McCain
Brian M. Logan as Terry
Mark Hembrow as Max
Peter Gow as Tishi
Anthony Lawrence as Clint Eastman
Ann Brisk as Annie McCain
Rick Hochman as himself

Production

Avalon says that sales agent Dick Bateman suggested he write and produce a film set around the beach and lifeguards, with humour and a romance. Bateman said he would buy all rights for $1.5 million. Avalon wrote a script Gary Hamilton of Beyond agreed to help finance if Avalon could get Elliott Gould and Chris Atkins to star; Avalon succeeded in doing this and the film was made for $1.6 million.

Reception

In her review of the film Marsha Porter describes the film as a "vulgar Aussie version of Frankie-and-Annette beach movies" and as "sexist, badly acted, and buffoonish".