Almost an Angel
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.
The film financial setback against its mid-range budget of $25.0M, earning $6.9M globally (-72% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its bold vision within the comedy genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Almost an Angel (1990) showcases precise plot construction, characteristic of John Cornell's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 35 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Terry Dean
Steve Garner
Rose Garner
God
Main Cast & Characters
Terry Dean
Played by Paul Hogan
A small-time criminal who believes he's been given a second chance as an angel after a near-death experience.
Steve Garner
Played by Elias Koteas
A wheelchair-bound young man running a youth center who becomes Terry's friend and mission.
Rose Garner
Played by Linda Kozlowski
Steve's sister and caretaker who is initially suspicious of Terry but gradually warms to him.
God
Played by Charlton Heston
The divine figure who appears to Terry, though may be a manifestation of Terry's conscience and desire for redemption.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Terry Dean, a charming con man and thief, successfully completes a bank robbery disguised as a security guard, showcasing his criminal lifestyle and slick charm.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Terry is hit by a car while saving a child from traffic and has a near-death experience where he meets an angel figure who tells him he's been given a second chance.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Terry decides to leave his criminal life behind and travel to find his divine mission, actively choosing to pursue this new path of helping others despite not fully understanding it., moving from reaction to action.
At 46 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Terry successfully raises money and brings hope to the community center; he and Steve bond deeply. Terry believes his mission is working and he's truly becoming an angel. False victory: he thinks he's succeeded., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Steve rejects Terry after learning the truth about his past. Terry realizes he's not actually an angel and has no special powers. His mission appears to be a delusion, and he's lost the people who mattered most., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 76 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Terry realizes that being an angel isn't about having powers - it's about selfless action. He chooses to help Steve and the community one final time, not because he thinks he's divine, but because it's right., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Almost an Angel's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Almost an Angel against these established plot points, we can identify how John Cornell utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Almost an Angel within the comedy genre.
John Cornell's Structural Approach
Among the 2 John Cornell films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Almost an Angel represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete John Cornell filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more John Cornell analyses, see Crocodile Dundee II.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Terry Dean, a charming con man and thief, successfully completes a bank robbery disguised as a security guard, showcasing his criminal lifestyle and slick charm.
Theme
During a conversation, someone mentions that "real heroes don't think about themselves" - establishing the theme of selflessness versus selfishness.
Worldbuilding
Terry's criminal world is established: his relationship with his fence, his selfish motivations, and his pattern of using disguises and charm to steal. We see he lives only for himself.
Disruption
Terry is hit by a car while saving a child from traffic and has a near-death experience where he meets an angel figure who tells him he's been given a second chance.
Resistance
Terry wakes from his coma believing he's now an angel with a divine mission. He debates what this means, tests his supposed powers, and tries to understand his new purpose while still maintaining his old self-centered worldview.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Terry decides to leave his criminal life behind and travel to find his divine mission, actively choosing to pursue this new path of helping others despite not fully understanding it.
Mirror World
Terry meets Steve, a wheelchair-bound young man full of cynicism and bitterness, who becomes the thematic mirror showing Terry what happens when you lose faith and hope.
Premise
Terry attempts to be an angel, helping Steve and his community center, performing good deeds, and trying to prove he has divine powers - the fun of watching a con man try to be genuinely good.
Midpoint
Terry successfully raises money and brings hope to the community center; he and Steve bond deeply. Terry believes his mission is working and he's truly becoming an angel. False victory: he thinks he's succeeded.
Opposition
Local criminals threaten the community center. Terry's lack of real angel powers becomes increasingly apparent. Steve discovers Terry's criminal past. The people who believed in Terry begin to doubt him.
Collapse
Steve rejects Terry after learning the truth about his past. Terry realizes he's not actually an angel and has no special powers. His mission appears to be a delusion, and he's lost the people who mattered most.
Crisis
Terry faces his dark night of the soul, questioning everything - whether he was ever meant to help anyone, whether his change was real, whether he's still just a selfish con man.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Terry realizes that being an angel isn't about having powers - it's about selfless action. He chooses to help Steve and the community one final time, not because he thinks he's divine, but because it's right.
Synthesis
Terry uses his old con-man skills for good, confronting the criminals threatening the center. He risks his life to protect others, combining his street smarts with his newfound selflessness to save the day.
Transformation
Terry has become a genuinely good person - not through divine intervention, but through choice. He stays with the community not as an angel, but as a man who learned to care about others more than himself.