review for Co-Ed Call Girl on AllMovie

This howlingly -- though unintentionally -- funny movie of the week features poor little rich girl Tori Spelling in a terribly earnest role as a college student-turned-hooker who shoots her abusive pimp, stages a tearful courtroom denouement, and ultimately learns to depend on her mom, and to love herself. As if that weren't enough in the way of unintentional camp, we also get Star Trek: Voyager sexpot Jeri Lynn Ryan as the protagonist's hooker mother hen and 7th Heaven hunklet Barry Watson as her soulful but clueless boyfriend. In just minutes of screen time, Spelling reenacts the fashion evolution it took her a good five or six seasons to complete on Beverly Hills 90210, from baggy jeans and frumpy sweatshirts to tailored suits and heavy makeup. When Spelling's Joanna emerges triumphantly from the courtroom at the end, she's ditched her trick-turning ways, but kept the new wardrobe. The moral? Apparently, it's that a stint as a courtesan may damage one's reputation, but it sure enriches the fashion sense. Of course, it's probably unfair to blame the actress for the vile dialogue, labored plot points, and general hand-wringing that plagues this project; director Michael Rhodes and screenwriter Allan Leicht surely deserve far more of the abuse. But although Spelling has show great promise as a comedienne in various indie and Hollywood supporting roles, tacky little morality plays like Co-Ed Call Girl will probably continue to darken her resumé until she manages to ditch the TV-friendly habits she picked up from her uber-producer father.