Focus World has released the trailer for the indie drama, The LifeguardKristen Bell stars as a woman who is unable to cope with her life in the big city, and decides to regress by coming back to her hometown and work her old job as a lifeguard.  I caught the movie at Sundance, and thought it was abysmal.  The trailer tries to condense the message of the movie, which is that regression is a positive thing because it lets you find yourself.  The trailer also quickly buries one the major plot points, which is Bell’s character sleeping with a teenager (David Lambert) and calling that self-discovery.

Hit the jump to check out the poster and misleading trailer.  The film also stars Martin Starr, Mamie Gummer, Joshua Harto, and Amy MadiganThe Lifeguard opens in limited release on August 30th.

Click over to Apple to see the trailer in HD.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Lifeguard:

Leigh (Kristen Bell) is almost 30, and living a seemingly perfect life in New York. But when her career and love life both come crashing down, she flees to her suburban hometown and regresses right back into teenage life and behavior. She moves into her old room with her parents, hangs around with friends who never left town, and reclaims her high school job as a condo-complex lifeguard. But as Leigh enjoys shirking adult life and responsibilities and enters into an illicit affair, she begins a chain reaction that affects those closest to her. With an all-star cast that also includes Martin Starr (“Party Down,” “Knocked Up”), Mamie Gummer (“Side Effects”) and Oscar nominee Amy Madigan, it’s a journey that’s both hilarious and heartfelt. Presented by Screen Media Films & Focus World, the alternative distribution of Focus Features.

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