‘Guarding Tess’

Although Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage seem disparate performers, they find common ground in this delicately funny 1994 chamber comedy about the war of nerves between a formidable former First Lady (MacLaine) and the dissatisfied Secret Service agent assigned to her. Aside from demonstrating how far a pleasing acting mixture can take you, “Guarding Tess” also shows its limitations. It takes an unexpected and unsatisfactory turn that undercuts all the good things that have gone before (TMC Sunday at 6:50 a.m. and 9 p.m.).