By Tony Scott
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Despite a ludicrous title and thanks to an elaborate murder setup, writers Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes, who know their way around dialogue and character, hand down an involving story of a deadly orphan and how she got that way.
Keen direction by Craig R. Baxley and a superior cast led by Melissa Joan Hart prove a strong pull; in spite of its purple title, ``Twisted Desire'' has lots going for it.
Hart limns youthful Jennifer Stanton, who leads a youth down a garden path. Having been dumped by b.f. Brad (David Lascher), Jennifer shows up at a party with jailbird mechanic Nick (Jeremy Jordan), who falls for her, despite her wealthy but harsh father (Daniel Baldwin) and compliant mother (Isabella Hofmann).
Jennifer's best friend Karen (Meadow Sisto) knows the score until the half; the rest of the game turns fuzzy for her as Nick and Jennifer become more involved. Getting into trouble with Jennifer's dad, the young couple make a pact to snuff her parents.
Director Baxley leads the unlikely story with an assured hand, and Hart, ricocheting between fresh and pert to sly and vicious, delivers a dead-eye, bangup perf. Jordan's outstanding as the male in the off-kilter ``American Tragedy'' as he projects new love and new regret.
Lascher presents a good leading-man persona, Sisto's persuasive, and Hofmann and Baldwin play their parts to the hilt. Respected actress Collin Wilcox-Paxton appears too briefly as Jennifer's aunt.
Production is handsome and homey, and designer Phillip M. Leonard has infused a comfortable atmosphere with L.A. locales to back the telepic's edgy story. Joao R. Fernandes' lensing, Sonny Baskin's surefire editing are pluses; Gary Chang's bizarre title music jars -- probably intentionally.
Telefilm's a good romp for kids mulling doing away with their parents -- or at least it's a good warning.
Cast: Melissa Joan Hart, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Jordan, Meadow Sisto, Kurt Fuller, David Lascher, Eric Laneuville, Collin Wilcox-Paxton, Isabella Hofmann, Rasool J'Han, Deborah Hobart, Edith Ivey, Joe Inscoe, Andrew Massett, Erika Galadon, Alan Sader, Keith Flippen, John Bennes, D.L. Anderson.
Filmed in Los Angeles by Polone/Winer Prods. Executive producers, Judith A. Polone, Harry Winer; co-executive producer, Robert Rovner; producer, Judy Cairo; co-producer, Jon Cowan; director, Craig R. Baxley; writers, Carey W. Hayes & Chad Hayes, Steven Loring; camera, Joao R. Fernandes; editor, Sonny Baskin; sound, Chris Taylor, Peter Redding; music, Gary Chang; production designer, Phillip M. Leonard; casting, Wendy Kurtzman, Lisa Mionie.
Reuters/Variety 05-13-96