Milk Money MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -2 1/2

Set in suburban Pittsburgh, this coming-of-age tale of three junior-high-age boys reaches pretty far to be original. Following a sex-education class, the boys secretly watch an erotic video. They plot to go into the city in search of naked ladies, using their savings plus their classmates' donation of milk money to finance the secret mission. After a series of misadventures, they are saved from danger by a prostitute, "V" (Melanie Griffith), who also bares her breasts for pay from the boys. Only Frank (Michael Patrick Carter) refuses to look. Stranded in the city, the boys accept V's offer to drive them home. She ends up spending the night in Frank's tree house. Frank tells his father Tom (Ed Harris) that V is a math tutor, which deception leads to conversations between Tom and V filled with double entendres. When her city boss is killed by the mob, V attempts to flee. The truth comes out, and the story takes a heartwarming twist. MILK MONEY approaches the youngsters' natural curiosity about sexual matters with humor and superb acting by the lead trio.

Prostitution is portrayed as highly undesirable and dangerous, and the kids witness the seedy, decadent lifestyle of street-walkers. MILK MONEY's humor is based on the children's curiosity about sex. They rifle through their parents' bedrooms, hoping to find birth-control devices they heard about in school. The erotic video they watch subjects the audience to sexual sounds. Paying a prostitute to bare her breasts might give young viewers some ideas on how to further their own education, but only her bare back is shown. The boys even lock their teacher out of the classroom so they can bring V in as an illustration of the female body. When V and Tom fall in love, sex between them is hinted at once. Several obscenities are added for "realism." Limited moderate violence includes a car-chase scene, an exploding car, and some fights at a dance. While V has a "heart of gold" and seems to be sincere about turning her life around, it's difficult to imagine her as a suitable mother and wife. Puberty is difficult enough for parents and children. Watching MILK MONEY will only make it more so.

Preview Reviewer: Alice Anderson
Distributor: Paramount Communications, Inc., 15 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023-7780