Plot

In 1958 California, a teenage girl goes to work as a prostitute in a high-class brothel after the death of her father.

Blue is a teenage girl who lives with her Jazz playing father Ham. Ham, frustrated with being a drug addict, crashes his car and kills himself. Blue must support herself somehow. Elle, the headmistress at a brothel, talks her into living and working at her establishment. She decides to leave the business and lead a normal life. Elle is hellbent to see that she never has one.—Pat McCurry <ccgrad97@aol.com>

In 1958 California, teenager "Blue" McDonald (Nina Siemaszko) travels from town to town with her father, "Ham" McDonald (Tom Skerritt) a heroin-addicted jazz musician. One day, Blue meets a handsome young man named Josh Winslow (Brent David Fraser), who flirts with her on his way to church.

Blue and her father drive to Sacramento, where Ham performs at Jules' Joint, a jazz club owned by an old acquaintance of Ham's. After the show, Jules (Joe Dallesadro) gives Ham a cash advance, which he uses to buy heroin. Later, Ham stumbles home to his small apartment, and Blue tends to him as he coughs.

Blue finds Jules, and tells him her father is sick. Jules suggests he needs more heroin, and offers to give it to her in exchange for sex. Blue confesses she has never had sex, and reluctantly allows Jules to take her virginity. After finishing having sex with Jules, Blue delivers the heroin to Ham, who flies into a rage when he discovers how she obtained it. Although Ham vows to quit, he relapses that night and dies in a car crash.

A few days later, after Ham's funeral, a madam named Elle (Wendy Hughes), who used to know Ham, approaches Blue and offers her a job as a prostitute. Believing she has no other option now that her father is dead, Blue goes to the lavish mansion where Elle operates a high-end brothel. In her office, Elle forces Blue to strip naked in front of her, then coaches her in the art of seduction.

Blue is befriended by Mona (Liana Curtis), a clever young woman who began prostituting herself at a young age. Mona leads Blue around the brothel, and they spy on various prostitutes with their clients. Although Blue has a hard time containing her emotions with her first few clients, she learns how to remain calm as she plays the role of seductress. Sully (Robert Davi), a driver and brothel guard/bouncer who works for Elle, notices Blue becoming accustomed to the profession and warns that she will soon become hooked on the lifestyle.

One day, Blue rides her bicycle into town, and is spotted by Josh Winslow, the handsome young man she met earlier. Elated to see her again, Josh arranges to meet Blue at the bus station the next day. That afternoon, however, Josh and his gruff father, Colonel Winslow (Stafford Morgan), show up at the brothel. Josh sheepishly tells the girls that his father has brought him there to lose his virginity. Blue dons a black wig and joins the group. Josh does not recognize her, and she leads him upstairs.

In her room, Josh claims he has always wanted to lose his virginity to someone he loves, but he is unable to resist Blue (despite not recognizing her). They make love, and the next day, Blue goes to the bus station and observes from afar as Josh waits for her. Blue does not make herself known, and returns to the brothel, where a bachelor party for the wealthy and snobbish J. J. Clark (Don Broomfield) is underway. Irritated by J. J.'s arrogance, Blue strips in the middle of the party and taunts J. J. to do the same. Elle pulls Blue aside and angrily warns her never to humiliate a client again. Blue declares she cannot remain a prostitute, but Elle refuses to let her go.

Later, Senator Dixon (Christopher McDonald), one of Blue's first clients, sends for her, and Sully drives her to Dixon's hotel. There, Blue is ambushed by Senator Dixon, a bodyguard, and two men with a film camera and lights. Despite her protests, the cameraman films as a hood is placed over Blue's head, and she is handcuffed to the bed. Sully interrupts the stag film in progress. Senator Dixon draws a gun, but Sully overpowers him and escapes with Blue.

Blue and Sully go to a diner to relax and have something to eat, where Sully asks Blue what she would do if money were no object. She tells him she would like to make a home in a nearby town. Sully gives her $5,000 he stole from Dixon's hotel room, and Blue asks if he would be interested in running away with her. He agrees, and they uproot to the small town where Blue first saw Josh. They settle in a small house with Sully play-acting as Blue's father. Blue enrolls in a local high school, makes new friends, and begins dating Josh, who does not recognize her from the brothel.

A few days later, Elle locates Blue and phones the school, pretending to be Blue's mother. Blue panics and tells Sully, who urges her not to fear Elle for she only bluffs her threats. Meanwhile, Elle casts three new girls to finish the stag film in which Blue appears.

Blue goes to Josh's football game and consoles him when he loses. Afterwards, Colonel Winslow beckons Josh, and Blue trails them to a building on campus, where Elle awaits with a movie projector. Winslow informs Josh he has bad news. Elle screens the stag film, and Josh recognizes Blue's face onscreen. Blue bursts in, yells at them to turn off the film, and asks who any of them are to judge her. Josh follows her out, but she evades him. Elle tries to lure Blue back to the brothel by having her get into her car for the drive back to Sacramento, but Sully runs Elle's car off the road and pulls Blue out of the backseat. After an armed standoff between Sully, Elle and Elle's new bodyguard and driver, Sully turns his gun on Blue and tells her to make a choice if she wants to return with Elle or stay with him. Elle defuses the situation and allows Sully and Blue to leave.

A few days later in the final scene, Josh approaches Blue on her way to school. He admits he was disoriented when he discovered she had been a prostitute. However, he tells her he has always loved her, and they embrace.