In Crowd, The

THE IN CROWD —* 1/2 — rated PG-13 (sex talk, nudity, violence); Carmike 12, Cottonwood Mall and Ritz 15 Theaters; Century Theatres 16; Cinemark Jordan Landing Theaters; Loews Cineplex Broadway Centre, Midvalley, South Towne Center and Trolley North Cinemas.

"The In Crowd" could best be described as some community theater mix of "Rebecca" and "Caddyshack." Warner Brothers has asked that the press not reveal the ending of the film, but probably the only people who could be surprised at this movie will be those who wandered into the wrong multiplex theater by mistake.

Mary Lambert, whose crystalline, dexterous video work of the 1980s made many of us believe she had a career in film ahead of her, directed this impersonal mishmash. Only a vaguely techno score and a pansexual central figure distinguishes it from summer thrillers of years past, back in the days when versions of the song "The In Crowd" by Ramsey Lewis or Dobie Gray would have been on the soundtrack.

"The In Crowd" stars Lori Heuring, who resembles Madonna. Heuring plays Adrien, who has just been released from a mental asylum, St. Anastasia, and has been placed in a work program at a tony country club. Based on the characters and their poor little rich kids problems, the club must not be far from Melrose Place.

Adrien finds herself caught in the intrigues at the country club, where Brittany (Susan Ward) takes an immediate liking to her. There's an obsessive nature to Brittany's courtship of Adrien as a friend who has something to do with Brittany's vanished older sister, Sandra, who looks just like Adrien.

It turns out both women have some deep, dark secrets of their own. Brittany is not to be trusted, according to the herd of underdefined characters who stampede past Adrien. Only someone who was recently released from a movie mental asylum would allow herself to be fooled by Brittany.

Sure, Adrien reaches out to Brittany despite her better judgment because of some big void in Adrien's scarred soul that fuels a desperate need for friendship. But does it really matter?

No, since the plot must build to a final cat fight that has to take place in a setting with as many lethal implements as a hardware store. Apparently all of the deserted warehouses were being used in other summer pictures, so the climactic battle in "The In Crowd" breaks out in a storage room under the country club.

Some talented veteran actors get a chance to deepen their tans here. Heuring and Laurie Fortier flash a hint of something, but they mostly do their best to stay out of the way of that surprise ending.

"The In Crowd" is rated PG-13 for sex talk, nudity and violence. Running time: 108 minutes.