And the winner of the Old Man Boyfriend Obsession of the Summer is JEFF EFFIN BRIDGES. It appeared to be a one-man horse race with Sam Neill for a while there, what with the upcoming Jurassic Park movie next month, but then JEFF leapt onto the track and pulled twenty lengths ahead to cross the finish line in this fangirl’s heart.
It began about a month ago when I saw Hell or High Water and thought to myself: “Self, that Jeff Bridges is really great in like, everything you’ve ever seen him in.” From The Big Lebowski to True Grit, the man has been delivering the goods for ages. So when I stumbled on Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and got re-introduced to UBERYOUNG!Jeff (which I had previously seen in The Last Picture Show an era ago), I was impressed that he could out-charisma old Clint for most of that quirky heist film. Then, because I recently listened to an entire TCM podcast series about Peter Bogdanovich and Criterion Channel threw The Last Picture Show up on the streaming site, I revisited that piece of perfection.
Just… ohmygah that grin.
Then Hearts of the West aired on TCM. It was total Cait Bait: a movie set during the Depression about making western movies that’s full of beautiful period details and stars a handful of great actors in their younger days (Alan Arkin, Blythe Danner, and our dear earnest-dopey-cute!Jeff in a cowboy hat). This was the real clincher for all the reasons.
The final nail in the coffin was Starman and I am so ANGRY that I’ve never seen this before in my life but maybe it was meant to be so that I could very firmly cement my burgeoning attraction to this sweet man. I mean, between the gloriously tasteful nudity and the choices he made in how his alien character would speak through his human vessel and win Karen Allen’s heart, crushing on him didn’t even feel like a decision anymore. Now I’m tugging on the little yellow strap on my seatbelt buckle to show the Disney attendant that I am fully secured in my seat for this thrill ride.
And oh boy, is it already thrilling. In a 24-hour period, I’ve already seen the 1976 remake of King Kong and the original Tron and my head is reeling from all that weirdness.
Something I’m also pleasantly realizing is that he and Tommy Lee Jones are almost perfect contemporaries, and many of their career choices have fascinating parallels and overlaps, which is just giggle-inducing for someone like me. Too bad the one thing they both starred in—the bomb squad action flick Blown Away (1994)—contained absolute proof that Tommy Lee’s Kryptonite is doing accents than aren’t American, but you can’t win ‘em all.
Jeff and Tommy both got started in television, starred in westerns for the Coen Bros, did John Carpenter projects, been leading men with Jessica Lange and Sally Field, lent their voices to animated films, and have done Marvel movies (then again, who hasn’t done a Marvel movie at this point, amiright?). Most importantly, evidence of their youthful HOTNESS has been buried by passing time, but luckily recorded in all sorts of random shirtlessness in the 70s and 80s. It’s so rewarding to dig up these gems.
Gawd, I love those dreamy marble-blue eyes that always glisten out from under those uniquely slanted brows.
Sorry, where was I?
Anyway, I’m committed to making my way through his back catalog for the season. Jeff is dope. I’ll finish with more swoon material:
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