UNLIKELY ANGEL (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television movie is about country music crooner Ruby Diamond, who dies prematurely and must perform a good deed to enter heaven.
The program begins with Ruby performing "What'cha Trying to Do to Me?" at a honky-tonky. After her show, she catches her boyfriend Charlie "shifting his gears" with another woman. More disgusted with her life than angry at Charlie, Ruby decides it's time to hit the road with the little performance pay she's owed. Determined to play "a classy joint" some day, Ruby drives away. While futzing with the radio, Ruby swerves to miss a deer in the road and crashes, killing herself.
Immediately, Ruby is approaching the proverbial pearly gates, where St. Peter informs her that she is dead. He also tells her that she won't get her wings due to her less-than-virtuous lifestyle; she must earn them. Peter offers her a chance to redeem herself by returning to Earth to help a family in need before Christmas arrives in a week. Back on Earth, Ruby quickly learns that she is a nanny to the Bartilson family's kids, Matthew and Sarah. The kids find no need for a nanny, despite the fact that their mother is dead and their father Ben is a workaholic. Ruby is saddened to hear that Matthew and Sarah spend most of their time alone. When Ben returns home late that night, Ruby questions him on why the household has so little Christmas spirit. He blows her off. Afterward, Ruby goes to speak with Peter, finding him in a most unexpected place.
Ruby wonders how she can possibly help the dysfunctional Bartilson family to love each other. The next morning, Ruby forces Ben to eat breakfast with his children. There, Sarah rages against her father, storming from the dining room. Later, Ruby goes upstairs to have a talk with Sarah, failing to get her to leave her room. She also tries to get Matthew to play with her, but is likewise unable. Thus, Ruby is forced to use a little trickery to get Matthew and Sarah together, telling the kids that she intends to give them the "biggest and best Christmas yet." Sarah is impressed to learn that Ruby was once a performer. Ruby wonders if Ben has ever discussed any plans to remarry. Later, Ruby takes the children to Ben's office, where there get reacquainted with Ben's co-worker Allison. They then talk him into going with them to cut down a Christmas tree at a tree farm.
Once there, Ben's quick temper yet again alienates his children. Ruby speaks with the upset Matthew and Sarah, convincing them to be nice to Ben by offering to take them anywhere they wish. Later, Sarah catches Ruby talking to herself, though she's actually talking to the invisible Peter. The next day, Ruby teaches Matthew how to play "Jingle Bells" on the piano while she accompanies him on guitar. Then, at the mall, Sarah tries to convince Matthew that Ruby might be an escaped convict. Doing some further investigating, Sarah is unable to find any Ruby Diamond albums. While at the record store, though, she shoplifts a CD. Ruby is shocked and upset when a security guard brings Sarah to her, en route to filing a report. Soon, a furious Ben is at the mall security area, chewing out Ruby for not watching Sarah closely enough. He fires Ruby, telling her to be out of the house by morning. Now, with her future for eternity on the line, Ruby must come up with another plan to rescue the Bartilson family.
Ruby visits Ben's office -- while he's in a meeting -- and tells him that he's too buried in work to realize how he's affected his children. After some thought, Ben finally sees the light, offering Ruby her job back. To make it up to her, he agrees to have dinner with his kids. Ruby also has a talk about angels -- and Ben -- with Allison. Ruby wonders if there could be "more than that" someday between Allison and Ben. That night, after dinner, Sarah tries to get her father to allow her to go on a ski trip, though she's been grounded.
Afterward, Ruby has a heart-to-heart talk with Matthew and Sarah, who show her an obituary they found on the internet about Ruby's death. Sarah thinks Ruby is a con artist who faked her own death. Ruby is forced to "confess" to the children that she's in the witness protection program. Sarah agrees to keep the secret if Ruby gets Ben to let her go on the ski trip. Matthew, however, is saddened at the thought of Ruby one day leaving them. That night, Ruby has a dream where she reveals her "false pretenses" to Ben, and Ben admits that he's known all along but it didn't matter to him, leading to a kiss. That dream quickly draws St. Peter's ire. Later, Ruby convinces Allison to get romantically involved with Ben by attending a dinner that night. Before the dinner starts, Allison sees Ben and Ruby in a clutch and mistakes their intentions. She flees the scene.
The next day, Ben is shocked to learn that Allison is quitting work to join another firm. He pleads with her to stay but she refuses. That night, despite it being Christmas Eve, Sarah tricks Ben and Allison into attending a "business dinner." With Ruby and the children spying from a darkened corner, Allison and Ben are shocked to see each other at the restaurant. Ruby then goes onstage to perform "Unlikely Angel," dedicating it the surprised Ben and Allison. By the time she's done, Ben has invited Allison to spend Christmas with him and his family, if not the rest of their lives. As midnight approaches, no one is able to find Matthew. With Ruby's time almost up, she begs Peter for a little more time so that she can help find Matthew. Ruby leads everyone to the playground where Matthew once shared a special time with his mother. There, Ben has a heart-to-heart talk with his son, convincing him that Allison will never replace his mom. At last, Ruby is forced to leave Earth without saying goodbye to the Bartilsons, though Peter reveals that she has succeeded in bringing them together. Thus, Ruby gets her wings and ascends to heaven, where she joins fellow angels in the "Hallelujah Chorus." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: December 17, 1996 Tuesday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:31:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:87007
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Gail Berman)
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1996
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Dolly Parton … Executive Producer, Music by
- Sandy Gallin … Executive Producer
- Gail Berman … Executive Producer
- Peter Locke … Executive Producer
- Donald Kushner … Executive Producer
- Jonathan Bernstein … Producer
- Robert L. Freedman … Co-Producer, Writer
- Michael Switzer … Director
- Liz Coe … Writer
- Katherine Ann Jones … Writer
- Velton Ray Bunch … Music by
- Dolly Parton … Cast, Ruby Diamond
- Brian Kerwin … Cast, Ben Bartilson
- Del Mar, Maria … Cast, Allison
- Allison Mack … Cast, Sarah Bartilson
- Eli Marienthal … Cast, Matthew Bartilson
- Gary Sandy … Cast, Charlie
- Roddy McDowall … Cast, Peter
- Williams, Billy (Sly) … Cast, Security Guard
- Ricki Dale … Cast, Secretary
- Frances Peach … Cast, Bingo Lady
- Terrie Snell … Cast, Church Lady
- Ron Wolf … Cast, Jeremiah
- Matt Lincoln … Cast, Tree Farm Worker
- James Harrison Lurie … Cast, Maitre d'
- Jana Stave … Cast, Honky Tonk Woman