Almost an Angel (1990) Paramount/Comedy-Drama RT: 95 minutes Rated PG (language, brief violence, innuendo in one scene, drug material) Director: John Cornell Screenplay: Paul Hogan Music: Maurice Jarre Cinematography: Russell Boyd Release date: December 19, 1990 (US) Cast: Paul Hogan, Elias Koteas, Linda Kozlowski, Charlton Heston (uncredited), Doreen Lang, Douglas Seale, Ruth Warshawsky, Parley Baer, Michael Alldredge, David Alan Grier, Larry Miller, Ben Slack. Box Office: $6.9M (US)
Rating: ** ½
The comedy-drama Almost an Angel would be entirely disposal if not for star Paul Hogan, the likable Aussie bloke we know better as Crocodile Dundee. Here he plays Terry Dean, a thief who believes he’s been given a second chance at life by the Big Guy Himself played by Charlton Heston (who else?) in a funny uncredited cameo. Who knew that God uses the term “scumbag”? In any event, Hogan’s sincerity and general good-naturedness keeps this pleasant but unexceptional little comedy afloat.
After being released from prison, electronics whiz Terry takes the advice of a fellow inmate and changes professions from burglary to bank robbery. He successfully pulls off a heist disguised as Willie Nelson leaving detectives so confounded, all they can do is debate the quality of the country singer’s last album. While planning his next job (this time as rocker Rod Stewart), he pushes a kid out of the path of an oncoming van only to be hit himself. While unconscious, Terry dreams of meeting God who informs him he’ll be returning to Earth as a probationary angel to do good deeds in exchange for saving his soul. But is it a dream or is it?
Terry doesn’t believe it at first, not until he tries to do another hold-up only to be thwarted by a gang of robbers, one of whom shoots at Terry (with blanks) during their escape. Believing that God made him bulletproof, he now believes he has a greater purpose in life. He follows a series of “signs” to a small town where he befriends Steve (Koteas, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), an angry guy in a wheelchair who tries to pick a fight with him in a bar. He takes him home where he meets his distrusting sister Rose (then-wife Kozlowski) who runs a rec center for underprivileged youths. Terry starts helping out around the place and Rose starts to fall for him.
Eventually, he’ll have to tell his new friends that he’s an angel (almost). Until then, he helps out where he can. He chases a couple of drug dealers away from the center by pretending he and Steve are Mob-connected. He also fabricates a miracle in order to convince the center’s religious backer (Baer, The Andy Griffith Show) to make a big donation. He’s a resourceful (almost) angel.
Directed by John Cornell (Crocodile Dundee II), Almost an Angel is the first time I saw Hogan play somebody other than Crocodile Dundee. I was afraid it wouldn’t work, but it did. I’m not saying it’s the greatest performance in the history of mankind, but the actor’s likable bloke quality takes him a long way. The rest of the movie is standard feel-good movie material right down to the ending where a not-all-that-shocking truth is revealed. Come on, who didn’t see that coming? Magical realism, it’s bound to come up sooner or later in movies about divine beings. Is there any among the faithful (moviegoers) that hasn’t seen an Oh, God movie?
Kozlowski and Koteas are likable enough as Rose and Steve. The actress dresses down to play a woman who put her life on hold to care for her terminally ill brother while he successfully conveys a man struggling with spiritual matters as he approaches the end. Almost an Angel veers into tearful drama at the end, but it never feels false or overly maudlin. It’s just the right amount of sap. Less successful is the subplot about the police investigation of the bank robberies. It’s too underdeveloped. However, Hogan disguising himself as the famous musicians is funny.
Honestly, I see Almost an Angel as more of made-for-TV movie than a theatrical one. If not for Hogan’s involvement, it might have been. The material is thin and light; it’s hardly worth the price of admission. If I recall correctly, there weren’t too many people in attendance at the Saturday night showing I went to with my friend George (yes, there are two movie guys named George!). There were more people in the earlier showing of The Bonfire of the Vanities. I can see why some would feel cheated shelling out $5 (that’s what adult tickets cost in ’90) for something as insubstantial as Almost an Angel. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie. I like it, but there’s really not a lot to it. I can overlook that since it’s such an agreeable movie that doesn’t ask a lot from the viewer. Having a nice guy like Hogan in the lead doesn’t hurt either. It’s a nice little movie, nothing more.
