Awooga! Looking Back on Our Cinematic Crushes

Hey, this is your conductor reporting in. Romance isn’t difficult to find on television or radio, on the page or the silver screen. It permeates and persists throughout all forms of media, and it’s a given that the love craze catches up to us. We’ve all been there: you’re at a friends’ place, there’s drinks and snacks to go around, and you pop in a movie to pass the time. An unfamiliar face appears. A funny feeling stirs from deep within you… there’s no doubt about it, you’re absolutely smitten!

So, what better time than a bound-to-be-belated Valentine’s Day to share all about the cinematic stunners who left us with balmy palms and tied-up tongues. Today, you’ll hear brief excerpts from family and friends, along with my own input. Despite a tendency to stuff my posts with plenty to wade through, I’ve kept this one short and sweet. Let’s hear from my contributors first:

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Some movie crushes from my childhood memory would be Sandra Bullock (pictured top, far left)… not mine, but my friend Robin’s. I remember he was from Canada and I met him at Kamiak HS. He was a huge Sandra fan and blushed when mentioned.

Another would be Demi Moore (pictured top, second to left). I remember many friends’ infatuation with her because of the role she played being hazed by fictional SEALs. Not a movie but… Saved by the Bell fans all had crushed on Tiffani Amber Thiessen! She was an ideal poster child for school spirit and positive outlooks (pictured top, second to right).

The boys playing ball on the diamond loved Wendy Peffercorn from The Sandlot (pictured top, far right). Marley Eve Shelton was every boy’s first kiss summer crush fantasy. Also from a show some know, Friends had Jennifer Aniston as Rachel (pictured bottom, left). And we all knew we were cooler than Ross, so we had a chance.

Two of my personal crushed were Jessica Alba (pictured bottom, middle) and Jodie Sweetin (pictured bottom, right). I enjoyed Jessica’s character in the movie Into the Blue and Jodie’s portrayal of middle daughter Stephanie Tanner in Full House.

— Chris

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There are at least three characters from different movies that I, brother, would consider some of my film crushes. These are not necessarily in order of how attractive they are:

• Ally Sneedy from the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club, as Allison (pictured left)
• Sally Hawkins (pictured middle) from The Shape of Water, or from Submarine
• Last but not least – from one of my favorite movies ever – Claire Grogan in Gregory’s Girl, as the character Susan (pictured right)

— Logan

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 I find that I typically fall for older sister types, although it’s never intentional. I’m the oldest sibling in my family, so perhaps it’s a kindred affinity. I also never realized how much the sound of someone’s voice played a role into my infatuation. It’s difficult to put into words what makes certain voices such a turn-on, but from my experience it is oftentimes a dealbreaker.

I noticed a severe lack of animated characters, so I’ll rectify it. Meg from Hercules (pictured right) stands out for her snarky attitude and her wonderful, sensual voice. Esmeralda’s astonishing beauty is a crucial plot point in Hunchback of Notre Dame (pictured left), as the vile Judge Frollo burns down all of France because of his lust for her. Crazy that they managed to incorporate that storyline into a family film. In addition to being quite easy on the eyes, she is miraculously kind, bravely stands up to injustice, and is accepting of those who are subject to prejudice. There’s no doubt in my mind that Esmeralda is a wonderful character, a worthwhile role model, and a definite crush.

‘Animated characters don’t count!’, I hear you cry out. Well, you’re in luck. My other movie crushes include Laura Dern, first in Jurassic Park (pictured second to right) and later in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart; the effortlessly charismatic Julia Roberts and her wonderfully curly hair; Jordana Brewster as misunderstood super-criminal Lucy Diamond in the campy DEBS (pictured right); Christina Ricci in the live-action Casper film from when I was younger; Nani from Lilo and Stitch (another animated one… deal with it, haters); and I wholeheartedly second the aforementioned Sally Hawkins and Heath Ledger. They both have incredibly infectious smiles that light up the screen.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you much love in your lives. Expect a review fresh out of the oven on Wednesday, February 21. Ciao!