Milk Money (film)

Milk Money
Promotional poster
Directed by	Richard Benjamin
Written by	John Mattson
Produced by	Kathleen Kennedy Frank Marshall Michael Finnell
Starring	Melanie Griffith Ed Harris Malcolm McDowell Anne Heche
Cinematography	David Watkin
Music by	Michael Convertino
Production company	The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	August 31, 1994
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$18,137,661 (USA)

Milk Money is a 1994 romantic comedy film about three suburban 11-year-old boys who find themselves behind in "the battle of the sexes," believe they would regain the upper hand if they could just see a real, live naked lady. The movie stars Melanie Griffith and Ed Harris.

The film was shot in Pennsylvania, Cincinnati and Lebanon, Ohio. The story is set in a fictitious suburb named "Middleton," outside an unnamed city. The city Middletown exists as a suburb of Cincinnati. The screenplay sold to Paramount Pictures (which once owned Kings Island in Cincinnati) in 1992 for 1.1 million dollars, then a record for a romantic comedy spec script.

Future Boston Red Sox All Star first baseman Kevin Youkilis appears in the film as a 14-year-old extra, and even has a line in the film.

Plot

3 kids, Brad, Frank and Kevin, go from Middletown to New York with money (all coins leading up to 100) to see a naked girl. They find a hooker named "V" that accepts showing her breasts for the amount. However when the kids head back home, they realize that their bikes were stolen rendering them stuck penniless in the city.

Meanwhile "V" talks to Cash and Betty about the fact that she's a person too and that Cash steals part of the money that he sends to his boss Waltzer who steals from his own boss Jerry, after the conversation Cash leaves the apartment and "V" notices through a window, the boys who are across the street covering from the rain and gives meaning to the fact that "a person does what she wants, and answers to no one" and takes Cash's car to give them a ride.

After arriving at Frank's house the car breaks down forcing her to stay at Frank's tree house. When seen by Tom, Frank's father, he is a little stumble and offers to repair her car in a few days when he is more free from his science classes at school, when Tom asks Frank about who she is he replies that she is a math tutor and that she's giving lessons to Brad, not knowing that she is staying in the tree house. Frank does his best to accommodate "V" and wishing that she would become his dad's wife lies to her saying that he told his father what she does and that he is okay about it putting her fears to a rest (this leads to several misconceptions in both parts).

"V" learns through the TV that cash was killed and phones Betty only to discover that Waltzer is behind it and looking for her due to Cash saying that she has the money that he was supposed to give Waltzer. "V" quickly figures out that Waltzer is hearing the conversation and hung-up. With the car still broken down, she get Tom's old bike from the garage and rushes to find "dad" so that he can repair the car now and fast but Tom is on a field trip to the town's wetlands, the last piece of swamp in the entire town which he attempts to save, with poor to non-existent results, from a construction plan. Tom, due to his school's timetable, is unable to repair her car any faster but "V" realizes that she is probably safer there, since Middletown is really a place, and a bit far-fetched to look for her and offtracks too.

Meanwhile Frank is given an "F" on a test about reproduction and must give the class an oral presentation, he decides to use "V" as a mannequin, and through a ruse manages to distract his teacher long enough to draw a relatively accurate female reproductive system in her skin-colored suit. This makes the town's gossip increase a bit, though some simply dished it off as lies others treat them as the truth which ultimately leads to the discovery of the lies Frank told them making them both angry while quarreling each other they over see frank throw away a box and before going out adding a gold medallion that "V" gave him and that he promised to keep forever.

As both go through the things inside the box they start to heal their relation and "V" reveals that her real name is Eve, it was too biblical for her conscience so she simply removed the “e”’s. Seeing the two hitting off so well in mourning going trough samples of the wetlands Frank goes back to get the things from the trash can. But not all is well as Kevin's father wishes to pay for her services from a phone number and ends up getting unintentionally Betty and Waltzer in "V"'s trail.

Main cast

Actor	Role
Melanie Griffith	V
Ed Harris	Tom Wheeler
Michael Patrick Carter	Frank Wheeler
Malcolm McDowell	Waltzer
Anne Heche	Betty
Philip Bosco	Jerry the Pope
Casey Siemaszko	Cash
Brian Christopher	Kevin Clean
Adam LaVorgna	Brad
Margaret Nagle	Mrs. Fetch
Kevin Scannell	Mr. Clean
Katie Powell	Mrs. Clean

Reception

In their on-screen review Siskel & Ebert gave thumbs down and speculated that the film may have been made by Hollywood executives with an affinity for hookers and their desire to make films about them (for lack of knowing women in any other profession), even one targeted toward families. In writing, Roger Ebert opted not for a conventional negative review, but to portray the film as the result of a fictional conversation between a couple of studio executives.

DVD release

Milk Money was released on DVD on September 9, 2003. The film was presented in anamorphic widescreen in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

• Features:
  • Features Not Specified

• Video:
  • Widescreen 1.85:1 Color (Anamorphic)

• Subtitles:
  • English

• Audio:
  • ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
  • ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Surround [CC]

External links

• Milk Money at IMDb