Welcome back for another installment of Review Stew! To round out the month of June, I’ve decided to stick with Kanopy and their robust offering of short films. This time we’re heading to Ireland to take a look at a schoolboy crush in…The Crush (2010).
Title: The Crush
Director: Michael Creagh
Released: April 20, 2010 – Premiere – United States (Tribeca Film Festival), Digital – Ireland
Runtime: 16 minutes
Available to stream on: Kanopy
Ardal (Oran Creagh) is a student in the second-class of Miss Purdy (Olga Wehrly). Ardal pays close attention in class, but it’s not because he cares about school. He’s just completely smitten with Miss Purdy.
One day after class, Ardal approaches Miss Purdy and presents her with a ring. As she takes the ring from Ardal, he tells her that he spent one week’s allowance on it. Miss Purdy grins as she puts the ring on her finger and asks Ardal if this means they’re engaged now. He sheepishly looks at the floor as he says he hasn’t put that much thought into it yet.
Things change the next day though when Miss Purdy has a different ring on her finger. Turns out her real boyfriend proposed and she said yes. Ardal is crushed and decides that he needs to have a little talk with her boyfriend. He approaches the boyfriend in the parking lot and tells him he can’t marry Miss Purdy. When the boyfriend plays along and says this might mean they have a little problem, Ardal agrees. In fact, Ardal sees only one way this can be resolved.
A duel to the death…
This was incredibly cute. Oran Creagh, son of the writer/director, was great as the lovestruck kid. He also pulls off the “creepy kid” as well. When he’s discussing the duel with the boyfriend, you can see an almost evil glint in his eyes.
The Crush (2010) is a wholesome story with a lot of heart. It is pretty easy to see why it received an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
If you have access to Kanopy through your library, definitely check this one out.
No access to Kanopy? No problem! The Crush (2010) can also be found on Youtube!
So, have you seen The Crush (2010)? If you have, what did you think?
Leave me a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me hear all about it!
As always, you can follow me on Letterboxd to see everything else that I’ve been watching lately.