Cry Rape!

Hard-hitting CBS-TV movie initially appears to be a cut-and-dry case of a serial rapist and his victims, his hotshot defense attorney, his uncertain mama and loyal sister, and a looming court case--but writer Will Lorin, working from an original treatment by himself and Leonard Freeman, adds a Hitchcockian touch to the proceedings that is not only surprising and effective (if far-fetched) but also welcomed. "Cry Rape!" threatens at numerous points to turn into an episode from any number of TV cop dramas of the early '70s, with only a few strong performances (particularly by Andrea Marcovicci as the sex fiend's fourth victim) to distinguish it. However, the third-act twist is a good one, and the denouement is satisfying. One Emmy nomination: Best Original Writing in a Drama to Lorin. **1/2 from ****