Okay, I have THOUGHTS about The Bodyguard (and Whitney's acting!)

Alright, so I finally got around to rewatching The Bodyguard last night. Nostalgia trip, you know? But watching it now, I'm seeing it through a completely different lens, focusing more on the performances than the...well, the slightly cheesy plot. Kevin Costner is...Kevin Costner. Stoic, broody, very Kevin Costner-y. But Whitney Houston? She's fascinating. I think people underestimate how much she brought to Rachel Marron. It would have been so easy for that character to be a caricature of a diva, but Whitney gives her this vulnerability, especially in those scenes where she's just trying to be normal. Like when she's at the karaoke bar with Frank (Costner) and her son, Fletcher. You can see she just craves that simple life. And the chemistry, despite some of the clunky dialogue, is actually pretty good! There's this one super small moment that really stuck with me this time. It's after the bomb threat at the concert, and Frank's chewing her out for not following his instructions. She's visibly shaken, but instead of going full diva meltdown, there's this flash of genuine hurt and fear in her eyes. A lesser actress would have played it bigger, but Whitney kept it real. It's touches like that that elevate the whole film. Honestly, I think she was a way better actress than peopel gave her credit for, even if the movie itself isn't exactly high art, lol. I'm curious what others think! Did you guys buy Whitney as Rachel? Was she good despite the movie or because of it? Chime in!