The film set in the Ohio suburb of Middleton centers on three boys who pool their money to travel to Cincinnati and encounter a prostitute without her clothes on. One of the boys, Frank (Michael Patrick Carter), forms a connection with the woman (Melanie Griffith) and suggests she meet his father (Ed Harris), a teacher dedicated to preserving nearby wetlands. Malcolm McDowell appears as an intimidating figure, while Anne Heche portrays a woman dependent on someone else in the city. "Milk Money," released in 1994, presents itself as a contemporary fairy tale blending elements of adolescent growth and romantic comedy. While critics largely dismissed it, likely due to the sensitive subject matter making it an easy target, the film possesses considerable warmth once you move past the prostitution aspect. At its core, Frank’s desire is for a nurturing mother figure and a partner for his solitary, career-focused father who needs someone to enrich his routine life. The central question becomes whether a sex worker could possibly be considered a ‘good woman,’ and if so, what would it take for her to find that redemption? Love emerges as the answer, also serving as the catalyst for uncovering hidden affection in the person being redeemed. The film also explores the issue of treating women as objects. Initially, the boys view the prostitute solely as a means to satisfy their curiosity and budding desires, but they eventually recognize she’s a person with feelings and inherent worth beyond her physical form. Furthermore, the woman is clearly seeking an escape from the hollow existence she entered at age fourteen; she yearns for affection, stability, and respect. Regardless of your opinion, these are significant moral themes for a comedic story about boys transitioning to adulthood, a caring father worried about threatened wetlands, and a woman working as a prostitute. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour, 47 minutes, and filming took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, utilizing locations like the Wheeler house and a school. Additional scenes depicting an ice cream parlor and town were filmed in Lebanon, approximately twenty minutes northeast of Cincinnati. Some shots were also captured in Pittsburgh. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB