The Crush (R)
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This came out in 1993, and I first saw it sometime in the 90s, on either TV or VHS. I'm pretty sure I didn't like it at the time, but it's something I wanted to see again, so I could write a review. I did so in 2021, mostly on a used DVD, but toward the end it started glitching, so I finished watching it on Peacock. I still didn't like it very much, probably no more than I did the first time. Anyway, this was the first film role for Alicia Silverstone, a couple of years before her major breakthrough in Clueless. Though I have a vague feeling that this movie might have gotten more exposure after her success in "Clueless". I could be misremembering, though. I also need to mention that Silverstone's character was originally named Darian (which is probably what it was the first time I watched the movie, but I can't remember). But since then it was changed to Adrian, for legal reasons, and that's what it was on the DVD I watched, so that's what I'll call her here. Oh, and I should say there was at least one scene missing on the DVD/internet. But that's okay, I guess.

A 28-year-old journalist named Nick Eliot (Cary Elwes) starts a new job, and moves into the guest house of Liv Forrester (Gwynyth Walsh, whom I mainly know as B'Etor from Star Trek) and her husband, Cliff (Kurtwood Smith), and their 14-year-old daughter, Adrian (Silverstone). Nick is obviously attracted to Adrian (and in all honesty, I can't blame him), but he's also disturbed by that attraction, and has no intention of acting on it. Unfortunately, Adrian becomes obsessed with him, and in her mind they have a romantic connection. And I can blame Nick for saying and doing some foolish things, some of which inadvertently but inevitably led her on. For part of the movie, she tries to make him like her, but when it becomes clear that's not going to happen- especially once he starts dating a photographer he works with named Amy- her obsession turns darker, and she starts screwing with Nick's life, as well as hurting Amy. She also hurts her "friend" Cheyenne (Amber Benson, whom I know from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who tries to warn Nick about Adrian. Ultimately, Adrian accuses Nick of raping her, so of course her father wants to kill him, but Nick just goes to jail. And he's soon released, presumably because his boss bailed him out, though that's not explicitly shown, nor do I have any idea why he'd do that. But the important thing is that Nick's freedom allows for a final confrontation with Adrian.

So, that's all I want to say about the plot, but there's another twist at the end. And the whole movie is pretty disturbing. At one point, I couldn't swear that I wouldn't have killed Adrian if the opportunity arose, but Nick's better than that. But I will say that Silverstone did a great job of acting. And I have no intention of ever watching it again. Now that I'm done with my review, I just want to try not to think about any of it anymore.