Even Unlikelier Angel
Having lived his life in search of the almighty dollar Sterling Brooks (Cameron Bancroft - Convictions) is shall we say self absorbed. So when he is hit by a golf ball and dies on the golf course he shouldn't really be surprised when he is told he can't get into heaven. But he is given a chance to redeem himself for a life of selfishness by helping out a family in need. That family is the Campbell's, especially young Marissa Campbell (Nickol Tschenscher) who is struggling as her mother, Annie (Erika Eleniak - Under Siege), is in the witness protection program and Marissa misses her and fears she won't be home for Christmas.
Have you ever watched "Unlikely Angel", the Dolly Parton Christmas movie from 1996, if you haven't the movie sees Dolly as a country singer who after she dies is sent back to earth in order to help a troubled family in order to win her wings. Basically "He Sees You When You're Sleeping" uses the same story with Sterling sent back to earth to help Marissa but with an added slice of "Ghost" as Sterling often can't be seen by others or touch things giving us a scene where he needs to try and save Annie from danger, did I mention that Annie was his college girlfriend who he left for his career. Now that doesn't make "He Sees You When You're Sleeping" a bad movie but having watched a few other movies which are part of "The Mary Higgins Clark Collection" it is certainly not what I was expecting.
"He Sees You When You're Sleeping" is not what I expected because frankly it is a corny movie, not just a drama but a comedy drama. Oh there is still plenty of that expected melodrama because we have the more familiar storyline of Marissa's mother Annie being in the witness protection program rather than being a workaholic parent. But this is mostly a light hearted movie which is all about Sterling being an angel and observing things whilst trying to help whilst not knowing how to help.
It is all very corny with Cameron Bancroft intentionally over acting as Sterling Brooks with plenty of attitude, shock and bemusement. In fact whilst "He Sees You When You're Sleeping" also sees Erika Eleniak as Annie as well as a few other recognizable faces the movie really ends up all about Bancroft as Sterling trying to help and realising what an arrogant jerk he was.
What this all boils down to is that "He Sees You When You're Sleeping" is entertaining in a sort of its so corny it is amusing kind of way. But for me it was certainly not what I expected from a movie which is part of the "The Mary Higgins Clark Collection" and the mix of humour and drama didn't really work.
