Like most teenagers in the early/mid 90's it was pretty hard to dislike (or at least ignore) Alicia Silverstone. This movie in particular was advertised on TV for weeks on end in the summer of 93, often enough to remember it nearly 25 years after. I never watched 'The Crush' as a teenager though, which might have been a good thing. When I finally did last week, I couldn't quite understand the fuss it generated upon its release (other than being Alicia's first major role), nor can I explain the amount of criticism it has gathered since.
For the most part the main characters (especially the journalist) are somewhat implausible, and the story focuses on depicting her increasingly violent outbursts rather than motivation or inner conflicts. But make no mistake, Alicia is more than convincing as a 14 years old Lolita from hell, being at various times sweet, fragile, manipulative, precocious, overtly sexual, and creepy. The story might not be the most unpredictable you've come across, but it's engaging enough to keep you interested.
A significant number of reviews seem to focus on the difference between certain attitudes and production values between early 90's and now rather than the movie itself. Some even go as far as accusing Alan Shapiro of featuring soft core child pornography. I'm curious if the same criticism is leveled against Zeffirelli's 'Romeo and Juliet', for depicting a 14-year old Olivia Hussey (not an older body double) in an even more revealing scene.
I guess the weakest point of the movie is the implausibility of the story and of the male character. We know how Adrian and Nick end up being neighbors, but no explanation is given for Adrian being left alone with an adult so frequently. The early 90's might have been more innocent and relaxed times, but not that innocent! As for Nick, he crosses the line so many times we can't decently view him as a victim in the end. It's unclear if he refuses Adrian's advances because he's intimidated/overwhelmed or because they are inappropriate. Indeed, if it wasn't for Amy raising the alarm early on, one wonders how far would Nick have pursued the 'frienship' with Adrian (some scenes which didn't make the DVD cut show Adrian & Nick enjoying a night swim, going for a ride in Nick's car, etc).
Take this movie for what it is: not the best erotic thriller of the 90's, perhaps not even Oscar material, but definitely not a trashy, laughable, and exploitative flick either.
For the most part the main characters (especially the journalist) are somewhat implausible, and the story focuses on depicting her increasingly violent outbursts rather than motivation or inner conflicts. But make no mistake, Alicia is more than convincing as a 14 years old Lolita from hell, being at various times sweet, fragile, manipulative, precocious, overtly sexual, and creepy. The story might not be the most unpredictable you've come across, but it's engaging enough to keep you interested.
A significant number of reviews seem to focus on the difference between certain attitudes and production values between early 90's and now rather than the movie itself. Some even go as far as accusing Alan Shapiro of featuring soft core child pornography. I'm curious if the same criticism is leveled against Zeffirelli's 'Romeo and Juliet', for depicting a 14-year old Olivia Hussey (not an older body double) in an even more revealing scene.
I guess the weakest point of the movie is the implausibility of the story and of the male character. We know how Adrian and Nick end up being neighbors, but no explanation is given for Adrian being left alone with an adult so frequently. The early 90's might have been more innocent and relaxed times, but not that innocent! As for Nick, he crosses the line so many times we can't decently view him as a victim in the end. It's unclear if he refuses Adrian's advances because he's intimidated/overwhelmed or because they are inappropriate. Indeed, if it wasn't for Amy raising the alarm early on, one wonders how far would Nick have pursued the 'frienship' with Adrian (some scenes which didn't make the DVD cut show Adrian & Nick enjoying a night swim, going for a ride in Nick's car, etc).
Take this movie for what it is: not the best erotic thriller of the 90's, perhaps not even Oscar material, but definitely not a trashy, laughable, and exploitative flick either.