Unlikely Angel

Unlikely Angel is a 1996 American Christmas TV movie[1] starring Dolly Parton which premiered on CBS in 1996.

Plot summary[edit]

Parton stars as a somewhat-selfish country singer, Ruby Diamond,[2] whose untimely death while driving at night results in her gaining an audience with St. Peter (Roddy McDowall). He offers her a rather unusual arrangement: she will return to Earth on a mission to reunite the suburban Bartilson family (a family that's been torn apart ever since the mother died). If she succeeds by midnight on Christmas Eve, then she will be granted her wings as an angel. If not, she will receive a fate much worse.

Masquerading as an out-of-sorts governess, Ruby slowly but surely starts to knit father/widower Ben Bartilson (Brian Kerwin) together with his rebellious yet conflicted daughter Sarah (Allison Mack) and lonely son Matthew (Eli Marienthal). But when Christmas Eve rolls around and Matthew runs away from home, St. Peter arrives to remind Ruby of the deal's terms, to which she replies, "I don't care; I'm fixing this family whether I get into Heaven or not." Upon the successful completion of her mission, St. Peter urges her to leave, despite her protests (she's become very fond of the family). But he reminds her that they will no longer remember her, so she reluctantly accepts. As she is awarded her wings, we see the family celebrating their first Christmas together in years.