Almost an Angel

"Who does he think he is?"

1990 1h 35m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 121

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Terry Dean is an electronics wizard and thief. After he is released from jail, he is hit by a car while saving a little girl's life. While in the hospital, he dreams that God visits him and tells him he's an Angel, and must start doing good things to make up for his past life. Not believing it at first, he soon becomes convinced he must be an Angel. Not having any Angel powers yet, he must use his own experiences and talents to make good things happen.

“Who does he think he is?”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Paul Hogan
Terry Dean
Elias Koteas
Steve Garner
Linda Kozlowski
Rose Garner
Doreen Lang
Mrs. Garner
Douglas Seale
Father
Larry Miller
Teller
Charlton Heston
God
Stephanie Hodge
Diner Waitress

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Cornell
Writers: Paul Hogan
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 28% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Maurice Jarre. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Stiven shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Paul Hogan and Elias Koteas and Linda Kozlowski carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Who does he think he is?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0099018 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Cornell directs. Maurice Jarre scores. David Stiven cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 28% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
236 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Original score by Maurice Jarre. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor David Stiven shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Paul Hogan and Elias Koteas and Linda Kozlowski carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Who does he think he is?".
7IMDB entry: tt0099018 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Original score: Maurice Jarre
Editing: David Stiven
Production design: Henry Bumstead
Costume design: April Ferry
Makeup / hair: Ken Diaz
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $25,000,000
Box office: $6,939,946
Return: 28% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Almost an Angel (1990)

Also by

John Cornell

Crocodile Dundee II
1988 · ★ 5.9

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-09-26
★ 7/10
You and me boss, we make a good team. Terry Dean is an exceptional career criminal, after his release from prison he is hit by a car whilst saving a young boy. He awakes in what appears to be a heavenly place, and much to his surprise he is visited by a deity and told that he is on probation, he is in short...almost an angel. Paul Hogan will forever be known as the bloke from Crocodile Dundee, a highly efficient fish out of water comedy that became a huge hit. However, the sequels and his other subsequent film's are either roundly ignored or highly frowned upon. That's a shame because Almost An Angel is a very engaging comedy, the sort of picture that stands up like a Capraesque piece for the 90s. It's the sort of fable that cheers one up when the blues draw in and then turn into a blackly dark cloud, yes it be true, old craggy faced Paul Hogan has the gift of comedy. True enough the doses of sentiment are at times like a treacle itch to be scratched, but is that a bad thing? Watching a street wise criminal turning his less than honourable skills into a thing of goodness? The film has many visual gags to go with the ream of religious ones that flow within the piece, be it Hogan attempting to fly or a quiet word about Elvis, Almost An Angel delights if one accepts the nature of the beast. Linda Kozlowski again teams up with Hogan (after the earlier Crocodile Dundee pairing), here she has very little to do but she slots in very nicely, even if a pre-end credits sequence does her and everyone else no favours at all. The best actor on show is the criminally undervalued Elias Koteas, playing the wheelchair bound Steve Garner, he exudes a believability factor that many modern day actors can learn from, where, the ability to act with just your face is high art if it's done correctly. Check out both the first and last scenes that Koteas shares with Hogan, great stuff that seems to have been forgotten due to the disdain shown for this particular film. I rate it 7/10 because it hits my spot when I need a pick me up, perhaps that is too high in this age where comedy is the hardest genre to succeed in? But don't believe the low rating here on this site, it's a delightful little comedy that is far from perfect, but hell! It's a heavenly piece knowingly incorporating the serious side of religious beliefs.
kevin20192026-04-20
★ 8/10
"Almost an Angel" is a very good natured and extremely entertaining film which effortlessly and successfully changes tone with great agility and relative ease. This happens most starkly with the character Steve Garner. He is terminally ill and unfortunately the prognosis for him is grim. The film doesn't shy away from such deeply distressing facts as these and the real temptation here would be to somehow have Terry Dean's status as an angel come into play and provide a heartwarming and life affirming means of having Steve's health fully restored so he can survive, but this film actually does the opposite by speeding the process of his death up by having him being accidently stabbed with a broken bottle. This incident could have been a completely jarring moment in the film, but fortunately it has been deftly handled and it certainly doesn't spoil any of the comedy to be enjoyed elsewhere during the rest of the film.