She's No Angel

In 1996, Ricki Lake and Brendan Fraser starred in a movie along with Shirley McLaine entitled "Mrs. Winterbourne". In the movie Ricki plays a girl named Connie. Connie is 18, pregnant, and deserted by her boyfriend. She has nowhere to go and boards a train in an attempt to find shelter. On the train she meets Hugh (Fraser) and his wife, Patricia (played by Susan Haskell) who generously take her into their quarters. The train wrecks, she is mistaken for the benevolent wife, and winds up living with Hugh's mother, who wants to take care of her new "grandchild." She's living up the rich life, thinking nothing can go wrong, and then *bam* -- here comes the ex-boyfriend to ruin things for her. Substitute a truck wreck for the train wreck, put rapists in place of the ex-boyfriend, and take out the pregnancy. Then you've got a brand new movie called "She's No Angel". I can't believe how much this movie is a copycat of "Mrs. Winterbourne". I won't say it's a bad movie; it's not. It's just not a "Lifetime Original Movie"

In 1982, A novel written by American Author William Irish, under the title of "I married a dead man", gave rise in France to a Film called "J'ai épousé une ombre" starring Nathalie Baye, Richard Bohringer, and Francis Huster. A pregnant woman fleeing a violent boyfriend, boards a train and is taken into care by a newlywed couple returning to the Bordeaux region (the husband has yet to present his new wife to his parents who are rich wine-growers). The train crashes, the couple are killed and the girl is taken for the dead newlywed wife because she was wearing her ring at the time the crash happened ! The story "She's no Angel is identical to this, except that it is a car crash, and not a train crash but every other aspect identical, even down to the fact that the welcoming family are winegrowers ! So there has to have been some copying somewhere. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed both "J'ai épousé une ombre" and "she's no angel" though I suppose the credit must first of all go to William Irish as 'tis he who wrote the original novel Quite entertaining !

Doesn't anyone realize all these films are a remake of an old 1950 Barbara Stanwyck movie called "No Man of Her Own".

Pregnant Stanwyck is on a train running away from her low life boyfriend back in New York and is befriended by a young married couple also expecting a baby. They are both just out of the service on their way to meet her in-laws for the first time. On a visit to the ladies room Barb is given a chance to try on the fancy engagement ring when the train wreck happens.

In "She's No Angel" when the runaway was offered a chance to try on the ring I could see that the young newlyweds were doomed. Sure enough, within seconds they are dead. This movie is still running and I'm sure it will have some differences that will manifest themselves but if you have a chance, check out "No Man of Her Own", 1950, it's a very good movie in the film noir style.

When I read the Plot Summary: "A young woman on the run allows grieving parents to believe she is their late son's wife." I immediately thought that they had taken the movie -"Mrs. Winterbourne" - and changed the title for TV. WRONG!!! The plot summaries could be used to describe both movies. It as at this point the resemblance ends. The movie is slow, predictable, and at times - down right boring. There are very strong actors in the movie, but apparently the director did not know how to utilize their talents. The blame should be shared equally by the screenwriter. The script is "sappy". Somehow I felt that I should connect with the lead character (played by Tracey Gold) but I could not decide whether she should be liked, disliked or even pitied. The character's motivation was revealed too late in the story to justify the ending. In "Mrs. Winterbourne" the last ten minutes were the best in the movie, the plot and subplots all came together based on good character development. In "She's No Angel" it felt like the writer and/or director (or possibly even the film editor) realized that the film was running long and they wrapped up the story line in the remaining allotted time. I believe that when watching a movie the viewer has a responsibility to suspend reality and that filmmakers are allowed to use poetic license. I think their license should be suspended for this one.

This is the best non-TV movie I've seen Tracey Gold in in at least two years. Two enthusiastic thumbs way up! Tracey Gold is definitely "No Angel" in this steamy thriller featuring a mind-boggling cast of future megastars. Watch out for Ogy Durham at the 2004 Oscars! She'll be working with Sly in no time.