Cbs Tuesday Movie Co-Ed Call Girl

By TONY SCOTT

CBS Tuesday Movie CO-ED CALL GIRL (Tues. (6), 9-11 p.m., CBS) Filmed in L.A. by the Kaufman Co. and Citadel Entertainment. Exec producer, Paul A. Kaufman; co-exec producers, Joan Green, Allan Leight; producer, Leanne Moore; director, Michael Rhodes; writer, Leight.
 
Cast: Tori Spelling, Susan Blakely, Scott Plank, Carmen Argenziano, Jeri Lynn Ryan, Barry Watson, Ashlee Levitch, Charles Grant, Siena Goines, Chad Morgan, Sydney Bennett, John E. Goetz, Al Sapienza, Steeve Arlen, Bruce Nozick, Nicholas Walker, Brad Fisher, Elizabeth Norment, Jack Knight, Scotch Ellis Loring, Edmund L. Shaff, Dell Yount, Tom Simmons, Herta Ware, Gina Minervini, Christopher Michael, Carey Lessard. Allan Leight's obvious plotline and unconvincing characters plus Michael Rhodes' flat direction don't help a seemingly diffident Tori Spelling wend her way through the familiar brambles. Only dyed-in-the-wool Spelling fans will buy this one, and it'll take a fire sale.
 

Spelling is mild-mannered, even bland, pre-med student Joanna, who has a disregard for truth. She lives at home with widowed mother Teri (Susan Blakely), a struggling bakery owner who supports them while Joanna yearns to go to college happenings.

When Teri has to work and can't go with her to a mom-daughter affair, a miffed Joanna accepts an invite to a call-girl beach party tossed by host-pimp Ron (Scott Plank), a clothing-optional shindig that dazzles Joanna.

Ron and his persuasive assistant Kimberly (lovely Jeri Lynn Ryan) promise Joanna that if she'll just go out with a man, she won't have to have sex. Swallowing that one, she finds herself on the payroll. It's not clear when she studies between pushing cookies for her mother, going to classes and accommodating men, but that fine line between dressed and undressed entertaining hits when she joins a john in his tub.

Starting to pull in big dough, she's soon into sex games -- until, worrying about her college boyfriend Jack (Barry Watson) and her image, she tries breaking off with Ron's glitzy outfit. She has to plug someone to do it. Her lawyer (Carmen Argenziano, putting in the best acting in the venture) finally shakes the real truth out of her.

Whole thing's preposterously produced, a shame since there's an honest story waiting to be told. Spelling looks uncomfortable, Blakely makes a stab at making Teri sympathetic and Watson smartly keeps the male juve lead on an even keel.

Tech credits are OK, but the unconvincing project comes off looking like a quickie.

Camera, James Glennon; editors, Geoffrey Rowland , David Handman; sound, William Fiege; music, James McVay; production designer, Sara Andrews.