Frank's father Tom Wheeler (Ed Harris) doesn't like to talk about his dead mother. He is struggling to understand girls. With his two friends, they decide to go to the city and pay to see a naked woman. The boys get robbed in a parking lot only to be rescued by V (Melanie Griffith). She happens to be a hooker and she flashes them her boobs. Cash (Casey Siemaszko) is her pimp and Waltzer (Malcolm McDowell) is his boss. The boys get their bikes stolen and V drives them home. Her car breaks down and Frank tells his father that she's a math tutor. He's a school teacher trying to save a tiny neighborhood wetland. She ends up living in Frank's treehouse and Frank wants her to marry his father. Cash stole money from Waltzer and is killed but only after telling him that V has the money.

It's a strange thing to make a comedy about young kids and a hooker. It's not a kids movie but it's way too light weight to be anything else. The kids seem way too young to be so deep into sex education. A hooker in the suburb is an odd proposition already but director Richard Benjamin keeps trying to make this into a family movie ... with a lot of talk about sex. At some point, one would expect Melanie Griffith to button up her blouse at least. The problem is all the sex material is connected directly with little kids and any laughs from that are awkward at best.

This movie SO typifies Hollywood.

We get (1) another prostitute who is gorgeous, sweet and with a heart of gold. (2) the prostitutes are nothing but victims of the cruel and abusive male pimps; (3) kids ages 10-12 are obsessed with sex (I'm talking about how Hollwyood sees the culture); (4) there are few higher callings than being a tree-hugger, this one chaining himself to a tree to save some wetlands.

On and on and on it goes in ultra-Liberal, politically-correct, morally-clueless Hollywood. Well, to be fair, the movie did have lots of charm and it's always nice to see Ed Harris actually play against type, meaning play a decent human being. Melanie Griffith never looked better, either. Too bad the story was so stupid and insulting.

I'm sick of reading bad reviews of this movie. This is such a funny, heartwarming and endearing film. One look at the premise and many people would think it's hard to make the movie work that way but it does. This was my favorite movie of 1994 and it works on so many levels. The interaction between the actors is fantastic. Even though it is more a light-hearted comedy the teenaged stars are given a realistic treatment throughout the film which is something rarely see in film. Michael Patrick Carter, Melanie Griffith and Ed Harris are all stellar. This movie is filled with wonderful enduring scenes and is truly a delight.