Cookie

Emily Lloyd is quite endearing as "Cookie," the quick-witted, smart-mouthed teenage daughter of mobster Peter Falk in this light comedy, the latest in the mob comedy genre perpetuated in recent years by the enormous success of such goofball efforts as "Prizzi's Honor" and "Married to the Mob."

For me "Cookie" fits somewhere in between those two — it's not quite as black as "Prizzi's Honor" and not quite as eccentric as "Married to the Mob."

The bad news is that "Cookie" is predictable and unimaginative in much of its plotting, relying heavily on the charm of its players for appeal.

The good news, however, is that "Cookie" does have charm as well as some witty dialogue and a genial sense of humor, with Falk at his laid-back best, Dianne Wiest very funny as his ditsy mistress who wants to be middle-class but can't quite do it, and Emily Lloyd, who is quite simply terrific.

Lloyd is "Cookie," the illegitimate daughter of Falk and Wiest. As the film begins, Falk has apparently been murdered and we see in flashback the events leading up to this occurrence.

Falk has been in prison for some 13 years, and now that he is about to get out he's renewing acquaintances to prepare for revenge. He also wants to get to know his daughter, and he wants the less-than-conventional girl to start developing a little class.

But Lloyd is having trouble forgiving Falk since her mother has faithfully waited for him all this time and he has yet to divorce his shrill wife (Brenda Vaccaro). In fact, Falk has to live with Vaccaro as part of his parole agreement.

Gradually Falk and Lloyd warm up to each other, of course, and as the plot thickens Lloyd helps Falk out more than he could have imagined.

This is fluff to be sure, and it's certainly not going to be on your list of 1989's most memorable films at year's end. But if you're looking for a pleasant diversion, "Cookie" is enjoyable, if forgettable.

And Emily Lloyd, a British actress who does a perfect American accent, is quite a find, one we're sure to see much of in the future. (In fact, her next film "In Country," with Bruce Willis, will be here in a couple of weeks.)

"Cookie" is rated R for profanity, with some violence and implied sex.