
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 16, 1995                   TAG: 9509180031
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STEVE MURRAY ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

'ANGUS' HAS A HEART AS BIG AS ITS HERO

Think of ``Carrie,'' subtract the pig blood and add a lot of laughs. That's ``Angus,'' a disarming comedy about the perils and triumphs of being an outsider in the conformity-minded halls of high school.

OK, let's be blunt: Angus (Charlie Talbert) is fat. The polite term might be ``big-boned'' or ``strapping.'' But it's appropriate that his high school football team is called the Huskies. And when pranksters hoist his underwear up the flagpole, it blocks the sun.

Classmates are always doing things like that to Angus. Especially Rick (James Van Der Beek), the blond quarterback, and boyfriend of Angus' dream girl, Melissa (Ariana Richards, the ``Jurassic Park'' girl).

It's Rick's idea to humiliate Angus big-time. He stuffs the ballot box with fake votes, electing Angus as king of the Freshman Winter Ball. Which means (gulp), Angus has to dance with the queen, Melissa.

It's up to his pint-size, big-eared pal Troy (the ingratiatingly geeky Chris Owen) to teach Angus the finer social graces, so he doesn't fall flat on his face (or butt) in front of the whole school.

The movie's outline may sound tired. But Jill Gordon's screenplay has spirit and edge that make its predictable message of ``be yourself'' almost sound new. It helps having old pros like Kathy Bates and George C. Scott on hand as Angus' mom and grandpa.

Directed by Patrick Read Johnson (who gets nice performances from his young actors), the film feels monkeyed with, as if it's been edited one time too many. The issue of grandpa's late-life wedding is tossed out like an afterthought, and an entire subplot about Angus' gay dad is missing in action.

But even with its occasional stop-and-start rhythms, ``Angus'' is one of those rare movies that can get the audience in a cheering mood. And it's nice for once that, instead of Costner or Stallone, it's a hefty teenager in a purple (excuse me, plum) tuxedo who's earning the cheers.|

Angus

A New Line Cinema release playing at the Salem Valley 8. Rated PG-13 for mile profanity and sexual references involving an inflatable party doll. 91 min.

by CNB