With the click of a switch from his early universal remote, released con Paul Hogan finds himself called to a higher power when he nearly loses his life and meets Charlton Heston at the pearly gates. Playing God, Heston send Hogan back to become a better person and to aid the needy rather than commit crimes for his own benefit. Hogan is an angel almost now simply because he's still breaking the law and utilizing cons to help others, and that results in a most charming little comedy.
Along the way, Hogan befriends pretty Linda Kozlowski (whom he married in real life that year), the sister of Elias Koteas, an embittered man in a wheelchair whom Hogan had earlier befriended in a bar. Koteas takes Hogan home to stay with him and after charming their mother, Doreen Lang, Hogan works on the kind but romantically hard boiled Kozlowski by doing good work at the recreation center for latchkey children that she runs.
When Hogan brings around wealthy Parley Baer to donate money to the center, Kozlowski begins to really open up, but issues with her brother Koteas crop up which really challenges Hogan's belief that he's an angel. From my recollection, this film came and went very quickly, dwindling Hogan's quick success on screen, but it is actually a film that deserved quite a bit more attention, a film along the lines of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Heaven Can Wait". Hogan's charm is undebatable, and his supporting cast, particularly Koteas and Lang, are terrific. The mix of laughter and tears really works here, and there are a few scenes that really choked me up.
Along the way, Hogan befriends pretty Linda Kozlowski (whom he married in real life that year), the sister of Elias Koteas, an embittered man in a wheelchair whom Hogan had earlier befriended in a bar. Koteas takes Hogan home to stay with him and after charming their mother, Doreen Lang, Hogan works on the kind but romantically hard boiled Kozlowski by doing good work at the recreation center for latchkey children that she runs.
When Hogan brings around wealthy Parley Baer to donate money to the center, Kozlowski begins to really open up, but issues with her brother Koteas crop up which really challenges Hogan's belief that he's an angel. From my recollection, this film came and went very quickly, dwindling Hogan's quick success on screen, but it is actually a film that deserved quite a bit more attention, a film along the lines of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Heaven Can Wait". Hogan's charm is undebatable, and his supporting cast, particularly Koteas and Lang, are terrific. The mix of laughter and tears really works here, and there are a few scenes that really choked me up.