alleged color coding
whatever the flaws of this film with the script and character beats, the racial diversity should not be interpreted as a problem.
20 years before the release of this film (1982), it would not have had a latina lead. In all likelihood, there would not have been a black sympathetic lawyer, and maybe 50/50 on a black martial arts teacher.
The film is a big-screen portrayal of the typical Lifetime/LMN film in which characters are introduced very quickly and motivations are given the short shrift.