Angel in Training

In a blatant stab at cashing in on Touched By An Angel's popularity, this very low-budgeter follows the efforts of Angel Second-Class R. J. to aid and abet a "blossoming young woman," Desi. Desi, a hoop-loving tomboy, has two major problems: the first, adjusting to the physical changes and social demands that accompany puberty, and the second, exposing the machinations of the beautiful business agent/gold-digger Peyton, who is trying to tap into the income potential of Desi's cartoonist dad. Desi's problems with friends and family (e.g., shopping for the right clothes, finding a date for the big party, refraining from beating up boys) plague her for about 80 minutes, and then they all quickly dissipate in the film's last ten, with the villain (i.e., Peyton) suffering the standard cake assault and pool dunking. Not much to recommend here, as the acting is uniformly weak and the technical credits poor, with the sole exception of the original soundtrack by Charles Harrison (which, considering what the filmmakers likely spent on it, is exemplary). Not recommended. (S. C. Sickles)