Maid to Order (1987)

Directed by Amy Jones. Starring Ally Sheedy, Michael Ontkean, Merry Clayton, Beverly D’Angelo, Dick Shawn, Valerie Perrine, Tom Skerritt, Begoña Plaza, Leland Crooke, Jason Beghe, Theodore Wilson, Kimberly Beck, Rain Phoenix. [PG]

Terminally bland twist on the Cinderella story—spoiled, self-absorbed rich girl Sheedy gets visited by her fairy godmother (D’Angelo), but rather than make Sheedy’s dreams come true, she transforms the young lady into a poor, working-class college dropout without connections to friends and family, which forces her to get a job as a maid for a couple of wealthy oddballs (Shawn, Perrine). Innocuous and predictable all the way, with Sheedy an ill fit for whichever end of the spectrum her character currently roosts, and an anemic love story taking up space that should have been reserved for hijinks and plot complications. Even for a low-rent high-concept comedy, it shouldn’t be too much to ask that the protagonist’s personality transformation be made credible. Perrine and Shawn compel a few mild chuckles through their bizarre behavior and fashion decisions, and Clayton sings a few tunes, but that’s about it. The superficial acknowledgment (and adherence to) racial stereotypes—e.g., Sheedy assumed as being the only white maid in all of Los Angeles—leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Katey Sagal and Theresa Randle both make their film debuts in minor roles.

36/100