The Guardian

"There is a legend of a man who lives beneath the sea. He is the fisher of men, the last hope of all those who have been left behind...they call him The Guardian. "

A 2006 film starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, that centers around Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technicians, or rescue swimmers

Senior Chief Ben Randall is a legend among Coast Guard rescue swimmers. He has more than two hundred saves, holds all the records, and has been allowed to stay on past the usual retirement age. But then, a rescue mission goes terribly wrong. Out of his crew, only he survives.

After this, he is sent for some slower paced work training the next generation of rescue swimmers at the AST. There he throws out the usual training regimen in favor of a more practical curriculum, and very strict standards of performance. Here he meets Jake Fischer, a young swimming champ, who declares his intention to break all Randall's records. This starts a sort of rivalry between them, with Fischer trying to impress Randall, and Randall trying to get Fischer to quit or reveal the real reason he's in A-School. Eventually, they both realize that the other is being tormented by demons similar to his own, and that they are Not So Different after all.

This film contains examples of:

 * The Ace: Jake.
 * The Atoner: Randall.
 * Bar Brawl: Fischer and Hodge get into one with some Navy guys.
 * Book Ends: The legend of the Guardian is told at the beginning and the end.
 * Coast Guard
 * Cynical Mentor: Randall.
 * Determinator: Hodge has washed out of A-School twice before.
 * Retirony:
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran: Randall wasn't in a war, but he's still haunted by that disasterous mission.
 * Sink or Swim Mentor: Randall literally throws them in the pool on the first day to see who chokes. One does.
 * Survivor Guilt: Randall was the only one to come back from a rescue gone wrong.
 * Training From Hell: Half the class is washed out in the first month.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Jake finally gets this from Randall.