Adorable Winona Ryder may have become the '90s equivalent of Molly Ringwald had it not been for a succession of poor movie choices that failed to expand on her range (or her appealing post-beatnik persona). As Dinky Bosetti, small town outcast who would like to believe that hometown celebrity Roxy Carmichael is really her long-lost biological mother, Ryder's allure here is reduced to that of a messy, misfit tomboy dressed in black. The script alternately pities and martyrs her, while the sitcom shenanigans happening on the sidelines are never very funny (particularly a lesbian-issue sub-plot which is half-baked and left unresolved). Adopted Dinky loves animals and is picked on at school, though that isn't much to build a character on, and Ryder ends up making faces and acting in a vacuum. The pacing is self-consciously erratic, the editing is sloppy and too much of the dialogue is knowingly facetious. There are a few funny moments and excellent soundtrack choices, although all the picture really needed was a sharper screenplay and a more focused direction. *1/2 from ****