Nbc Monday Night at the Movies No One Would Tell

By JOHN P. MCCARTHY

NBC Monday Night at the Movies NO ONE WOULD TELL (Mon. (6), 9-11 p.m., NBC) Filmed in Phoenix by Frank and Bob Films II in association with Hallmark Entertainment. Executive producers, Frank Von Zerneck, Robert M. Sertner; producers, Randy Sutter, Art Mandelberg; co-producer, Stephanie Germain; director, Noel Nosseck; writer, Steven Loring.
 
Cast: Candace Cameron, Fred Savage, Gregalan Williams, Heather McComb, Rodney Eastman, Season Hubley, Danielle Von Zerneck, Sally Jessy Raphael, Michelle Phillips, Gary Wolf, Chad Cox, Justina Machado, Paul Linke, Eric Balfour, Paige Moss, Marta Romo, Brian Gross, Billy Joe Patton, Cheryl Kirby, Mark Demichele, Ron Hoon. The Wonder Years" vet Fred Savage goes against type in a story about teenage dating abuse, but the impact of the casting is undermined by telepic's first scene showing his character's criminal behavior; the back story follows, and viewers are denied the chance to discover he's not a paragon of innocence. It's "The Wacko Years" from the word go and the filmmakers generally trade dramatic pull for the didacticism of a public service announcement.
 

Savage's physical development may startle auds more than his acting. Bobby Tennyson is a big man on his high school campus, the star of the wrestling team and very into his muscles.

The cherub has grown up to be a tough guy with a maniacal glint in his eye; he even drives a pickup.

His girlfriend Stacy (Candace Cameron) chastises her mother (Michelle Phillips) for tolerating an abusive boyfriend, but mistakes Bobby's beatings as expressions of love.

Stacy inspects her bruises while Bobby pumps more iron. By the time she gets clued-in with the help of her best friend Nicki (Heather McComb), it's too late.

An anti-climactic courtroom scene is merely an excuse to have a judge (Sally Jessy Raphael) lecture youngsters on the signs of abuse and the cost of silence.

Writer Steven Loring doesn't try to get inside Bobby's head. His one-dimensionality calls into question his popularity, which is used to explain the failure of peers to come forward. He's just a bully, and a boring and fairly stupid one at that.

Savage is menacing, thanks to his physical size, and has his eerie moments, but mainly comes off as a wide-eyed zombie. Cameron is realistic as the gullible and willful teen. The highest acting marks go to Heather McComb, who's able to take up the emotional slack in the script and performances.

Director Noel Nosseck makes obvious choices. But, given the vidpic's structure, he's able to inject a surprising amount of urgency into the last half-hour. Tech work is fine across the board.

Camera, Paul Maibaum; editor, Michael Brown; production designer, Pam Warner; sound, Richard I. Birnbaum; music, Michael Tavera; casting, Susan Glicksman, Fern Orenstein.