The Crush
Nick Eliot, a 28-year-old newspaper reporter, moves into the guest house of the Forresters. Everything goes fine until he meets 14-year-old Adrienne, the Forresters' only child. When she develops a crush and is rebuffed, she retaliates with vengeance.
Despite its limited budget of $6.0M, The Crush became a solid performer, earning $13.6M worldwide—a 127% return.
2 wins & 3 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Crush (1993) reveals deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Alan Shapiro's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 29 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Nick Eliot arrives at the Forrester family home to view the guest house he's renting, establishing him as a successful young journalist starting fresh in a new city with a promising career at Pique magazine.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Adrian makes her first overt romantic advance toward Nick, appearing in his guest house uninvited in provocative clothing, forcing him to awkwardly deflect her attention while recognizing she has developed an obsessive attraction to him.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Nick meets Amy, an attractive photographer at his magazine, and decides to pursue a romantic relationship with her. This active choice to date someone age-appropriate sets him on a collision course with Adrian's obsession., moving from reaction to action.
At 44 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Adrian's obsession turns violent when she attacks Amy with wasps in the darkroom, trapping her inside. This false defeat reveals Adrian is capable of real harm, escalating her from nuisance to genuine threat., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Nick is arrested based on Adrian's false accusations of molestation. His reputation is destroyed, he loses his job, and even those who believed him begin to doubt. Adrian has successfully positioned herself as victim and him as predator., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Nick discovers Adrian's secret diary and evidence of her previous obsession with another man, revealing a pattern of psychotic behavior. Armed with this knowledge, he realizes he can expose her lies and must confront her directly., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Crush's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping The Crush against these established plot points, we can identify how Alan Shapiro utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Crush within the crime genre.
Alan Shapiro's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Alan Shapiro films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Crush represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Alan Shapiro filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional crime films include The Bad Guys, Batman Forever and 12 Rounds. For more Alan Shapiro analyses, see Flipper.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Nick Eliot arrives at the Forrester family home to view the guest house he's renting, establishing him as a successful young journalist starting fresh in a new city with a promising career at Pique magazine.
Theme
Cliff Forrester warns Nick about his daughter Adrian, noting she's "very mature for her age" and suggesting boundaries are important—foreshadowing the dangerous blurring of lines that will follow.
Worldbuilding
Nick settles into the guest house and meets the Forrester family. Adrian immediately shows interest in him, appearing sophisticated and flirtatious beyond her years. Nick establishes his work life at the magazine and begins his new chapter.
Disruption
Adrian makes her first overt romantic advance toward Nick, appearing in his guest house uninvited in provocative clothing, forcing him to awkwardly deflect her attention while recognizing she has developed an obsessive attraction to him.
Resistance
Nick tries to maintain appropriate boundaries with Adrian while navigating her persistent advances. He debates how to handle the situation—whether to tell her parents, move out, or simply ignore her behavior hoping it will pass.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Nick meets Amy, an attractive photographer at his magazine, and decides to pursue a romantic relationship with her. This active choice to date someone age-appropriate sets him on a collision course with Adrian's obsession.
Mirror World
Nick and Amy's relationship develops as they begin dating seriously. Amy represents healthy adult love in contrast to Adrian's dangerous obsession, embodying what a normal relationship should look like.
Premise
Nick tries to balance his new romance with Amy while deflecting Adrian's increasingly disturbing behavior. Adrian spies on Nick, breaks into his apartment, and begins manipulating situations to insert herself into his life while appearing innocent to her parents.
Midpoint
Adrian's obsession turns violent when she attacks Amy with wasps in the darkroom, trapping her inside. This false defeat reveals Adrian is capable of real harm, escalating her from nuisance to genuine threat.
Opposition
Adrian systematically destroys Nick's life. She accuses him of sexual assault, sabotages his career by ruining his article, turns her parents against him, and manipulates everyone into believing she is the victim. Nick finds himself isolated and unable to prove his innocence.
Collapse
Nick is arrested based on Adrian's false accusations of molestation. His reputation is destroyed, he loses his job, and even those who believed him begin to doubt. Adrian has successfully positioned herself as victim and him as predator.
Crisis
Nick faces the prospect of prison and complete ruin. Amy stands by him but there seems to be no way to prove Adrian is lying. Nick realizes he must find evidence of Adrian's true nature before she destroys him completely.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Nick discovers Adrian's secret diary and evidence of her previous obsession with another man, revealing a pattern of psychotic behavior. Armed with this knowledge, he realizes he can expose her lies and must confront her directly.
Synthesis
The climactic confrontation unfolds. Adrian kidnaps Amy and Nick must rescue her from the attic of the Forrester home. A violent showdown ensues on the carousel in the attic, culminating in Adrian falling through the structure. Her parents finally see her true nature as she's taken away.
Transformation
Nick and Amy reunite, his name cleared and their relationship stronger for surviving Adrian's attacks. The final image shows Adrian being institutionalized but already fixating on a new orderly—suggesting she remains unchanged, a permanent threat.