Man, the ‘80s were a different time. Case in point: The Blue Lagoon.
I watched it for the first time ever last night and I just… *no words*. The film, starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins, can best be described in this way:
A shipwreck leaves two cousins abandoned on a remote island. To survive, they spend a lot of time fishing, being naked, swimming naked, and having sex naked. Did we mention they are SUPER cousins?! But wait! They also have a baby who spends way too much time in the sun (I swear to god, where is the sunscreen?), and also lowkey try to kill themselves at the end (Romeo and Juliet style!) but thank god Mr. Feeny their Uncle Arthur shows up in time to save them. Plus, there’s an obscene amount of references to Christmas and heaven throughout the film which, um, okay??? ‘Tis the season!
Anyway, how a film like this got made, that’s between Brooke Shields and her god… but seriously, HOW?!
Demanding answers, I went down a rabbit hole bigger than any island you’d ever find yourself stuck on. Here are the 5 most batsh*t things I learned in my quest to make sense of this new, post-Blue Lagoon watching world I suddenly found myself living in…
Brooke Shields was only 14 when she filmed The Blue Lagoon
Yeah, yeah, this one is common knowledge by now–Brooke was 14 and her co-star Christopher Atkins was 18–but I CANNOT GET OVER IT. And neither could a lot of other folks, apparently.
According to Mental Floss, years after the film’s release, Shields had to testify before a U.S. Congressional inquiry that yes, body doubles—of legal age—were used throughout filming. Like damn…
According to People, the film’s crew even glued Brooke’s hair to her chest to avoid exposing her. You know, like you do.
But even more impressive than these factoids is how f*cking well-spoken Brooke is when asked about the nudity in the film. Keep in mind, Brooke is, like, 15 in this clip. I’m pretty sure I didn’t even know how to form a coherent sentence at that age. Let alone do an entire 10 minute, graceful AF interview.
Meanwhile, Christopher Atkins helped an entire generation realize they were gay
Turns out, Christopher Atkins was the Ryan Phillippe (if you know, you know) of the 1980s in that he helped a ton of guys realize they were gay. Here’s an entire Reddit thread about it.
But also, The Blue Lagoon helped save someone’s life (a sentence I never thought I’d say)
According to Michael Matson over at The Advocate, The Blue Lagoon–namely goddess Brooke Shields–quite literally saved his life.
In an essay, Matson shares how, “Today, there are hundreds of LGBTQ+ role models — more than I ever imagined possible back in the early 1980s, when there were far too few. There were almost none that could be readily discovered by a teenage queer kid in a predominantly white suburb with a manifesto for homogeneity.”
“Much as with the queer men before me who worshipped Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, and Cher, my Brooke Shields obsession helped keep me hopeful and alive until I was able to venture out in the larger world and find other LGBTQ+ human beings.”
Which okay, dammit Michael, you got me!
The Blue Lagoon director, Randal Kleiser, really, really, really wanted Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins to like each other. Like a lot.
Add this to my list of “Hmmm, is this f*cked up, or did I just eat an edible?”
According to UK pub, The Daily Express, Blue Lagoon director Randal Kleiser–who, how cool, is openly gay!–really wanted Brooke and Christopher to fall in love, so much so that he went to great (and highkey creepy) lengths to make it happen.
Said Atkins: “The director wanted us to be attracted to each other. He stuck a picture of her over my bunk on the boat when I first got there just so I could start becoming attracted to her. He said, ‘It will come out in your eyes. It will come out in real time on film’.”
Cause nothing says “Daw, that’s sweet!” like a 34 year-old grown adult (Kleiser’s age at the time of the movie) telling someone to stare at a 14-year-old every night before bed.
But also, can we go back to how Brooke and Chris played cousins-turned-lovers?!
Okay, I did some research on this. Apparently, it was totally kosher for cousins to bone in the Victorian era, so the filmmakers must have seen this and been like, “It’s cool, bro.”
And that’s how you make a movie about cousins falling in love!
Not to mention all the naked swimming. I swear to god, the number of “naked swimming” montages in the movie was highkey alarming. There were naked swimming babies! Naked swimming toddlers! Naked swimming children! Naked swimming teens! Like, please, people who made this movie, do you have something you need to tell us?
In the end, I wish there was something redeemable I could say after watching The Blue Lagoon. But unfortunately it’s shipwrecked my brain, and I will never be the same. Time to get off this island forever, and please dear lord, may I never, ever return.
Josh Galassi is very gay and very disabled, if you haven’t noticed. Sometimes, he writes about both those things, and sometimes, he doesn’t. He lives in Seattle with his dog Carmen Sandiego, who, it turns out, was on Craigslist the entire time (where he bought her). You can find him on Twitter, or at a nearby coffee shop obsessing over cold brew.
Mack
I remember the movie well. There wasn’t very many movies which showed naked people, especially guys. We didn’t have computers where we could search for nude guys to do out thing. And face it, Christopher was one hot kid, from the pictures I’ve seen of him recently he still is.
wimo
Idem
IanHunter
This movie is a classic. I remember being just hypnotized by the scenes in this movie. It was beautiful and still yet innocent. They have tried to remake it, but the remakes can’t recapture what this movie has. It has stood the test of time and is still one of my favorite films that I grew up with.
skie763
Well said. Why would some douch bag trash it like this?
lykeitiz
“beautiful and still yet innocent” … very well said, and a perfect description of this movie.
Yes Brooke Shields was very young, but as the writer of the article acknowledged, a body double was used for her nude scenes, so I don’t see why this review has to be reduced to “boobies!” “pee-pee’s!”.
It was a beautiful coming of age story told in a more frank way than most movies today. When even a gay rag clutches their pearls, it shows how far we’ve devolved.
Bengali
Way hotter to watch the remake with Brenton Thwaites because he might be one of the hottest men on Earth.
Amalgamate
He’s ok- can’t touch the original!
HankHarris
First, yes Chris Atkins 100% make me realize I was gay in a very young age. I remember seeking out a Playboy (maybe Playgirl?) that had screen shots of celebrity nude scenes which included Blue Lagoon and Chris. Second – its really unbelievable how sexualized Brooke was, with this, Pretty Babies, the Calvin commercials. She was failed by literally everyone around her.
Third, everyone talks about Elio and the peach in CMBYN, but we had Chris with a mango (papaya) decades earlier!
storm45701
I believe Atkins did a Playgirl spread.
kevininbuffalo
It was Playgirl, I bought it. you can still find the pictures online.
tomch52
Grow the “F” up! It was the 80’s! If it offends don’t watch it!
Cato
Mr. Clean got a lot of young gays hooked on daddies.
PinkoOfTheGange
Okay zoomer
spiralx
To both actors’ credit, they are comfortably if quietly gay-friendly.
And Chris is equally comfortable with male nudity, and has said so on more than one occasion. Astonishing for any American male, especially back then.
Gadfeal
I’m almost embarrassed to admit; my first inkling of being gay was centered on a fantasy with “The Green Giant” – but what do you expect of a pre-teen before the Internet?
The next depictions of males onscreen that confirmed my sexuality were James Franciscus (Longstreet, the blind lawyer with Bruce Lee as his mentor), and, the spectacularly gorgeous Jon Erik Hexum, stupidly killed by blank shot from a gun.
Doug
I love that you got turned on by the “Green Giant!” That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that, but it makes total sense…
Doug
In 1978 Brooke Shields had made another film at the age of thirteen that could never have been produced today called “Pretty Baby.” She plays the daughter of a prostitute in a bordello who eventually becomes a prostitute herself and is auctioned off to Robert Carradine to lose her virginity. They also have a love scene together (Carradine was 24 at the time). She is topless in two or three scenes. By today’s standards, this is a lot more shocking than “Blue Lagoon.” “Pretty Baby” was directed by Louis Malle, got excellent reviews, and despite the scenes they got away with shooting it in the 70’s, it was actually a very entertaining film. It’s interesting that it’s still available on DVD and distributors haven’t pulled it yet.
Essie
I think Brooke was barely 12 in that movie. And she was about that age when she did those highly suggestive Calvin Klein jeans commercials. Her mother sold her out to anyone who wanted a young, beautiful girl to do sexy things. Nothing she did was any good. I mean. Jody Foster did Taxi Driver at about 11 or 12 and actually did a good ACTING job, and not just relied on being a thing for pedos to slobber over. Brooke Shields was a lousy actor and a not very nice person. That’s why she isn’t acting much these days.
Trawles
Wait till you see Endless Love!
Dr Sarah
Wait, they survived? I was a kid when I watched it, but my impression was definitely that he found them only after they’d died. Good to know I was wrong!
swingbozo
The ending was ambiguous if I remember correctly. You could read it either way.
theaterbloke
The sequel made it clear that they had died. But their baby survived.
missvamp
Brooke did several controversial films. Her mom pushed for all of it. Her mom was the sicko.
Paulie P
Her mom was the Kris Jenner of her day.
Kangol2
Her mother also infamously signed away the rights to nude photos a professional photographer took of Brooke Shields when she was only 10 or so. Teri Shields sued to try to regain control of the photos but an odd NYC law led the court to rule for the photographer, since Brooke Shields was viewed as a model and not a performer. Brooke Shields did eventually write a book about her relationship with her mother maybe a decade or so ago.
gaym50ish
Atkins was also very hot as a stripper in “A Night in Heaven.”
Man About Town
I remember the first sentence of People Magazine’s review: “What’s this? Flashdunce?”
Rich85
I was aware of my gayness before “Blue Lagoon”, but watching Chris Atkins in this film upon its original theatrical release when I was around his same age surely confirmed it. I saw the film with my Mom and thought he was the most beautiful male creature I had ever seen. I was embarrassed that my attraction to Chris Atkins tanned nude body was so strong that my Mom might actually sense it, or somehow be able to actually hear the horniness it induced!! 8 years later after moving to L.A. to work in film I found myself working every day alongside Christopher Atkins on a film. One day an assistant director asked if I would drive Atkins home that day from Malibu to Studio City where he lived, my home was very nearby. As it was rush hour the trip took about 90 minutes, during which I could not stop thinking of all the naughty dreams and imaginings I had had while doing “personal” things to myself about my passenger. He was very nice, a little bland, and commented continuously about “Hot Girls” in the cars alongside us in traffic, dulling my fantasy luster about him a bit. A fun memory though and an experience I would have never expected to have while lusting after him in the theater next to my Mom in 1980. Oddly enough 14 years after that I found myself working with director Randall Kleiser for a couple of months, filming on a tropical island of all places!
DuMaurier
I saw it when it came out. It was corny, the acting was terrible, and I really had a great time. Yes, these days someone on the set would be running to social services or starting a Twitter uproar over the whole thing, but we’ve become less frivolous and flighty-fun and more grimly humorless over the years.
JeffBaker
I didn’t see “Blue Lagoon” until a few years ago, but I realized I was Bi in College about 1980. Nonetheless, I crushed on Chris Atkins; saved the People Magazine issue he was in and I have a video of “A Night in Heaven” somewhere! Atkins with no shirt and a tan—yum!!!!!!!
bachy
As weird as Brooke Shields’ career has been, she has got to be one of the sanest people in show business. I became a fan of her writing as she’s contributed essays and articles to various magazines over the years. For someone who appeared in highly sexual films as a young girl, she certainly has her head screwed on straight! A very sensible, thoughtful and well-spoken writer. Not all child actors are screwed up by the experience.
Kangol2
She’s also very smart, and a talented writer. She graduated from Princeton, I believe.
Man About Town
Speaking of 14-year-old children, that must be the age of Mr. Galassi since this entire piece could not have been written by an adult!
Ronrico
Agreed.
strap2900
I never understood why they permed his hair. I guess it was a 70’s thing.
kevininbuffalo
It was a 70’s thing, perms for men.
Heywood Jablowme
‘Apparently, it was totally kosher for cousins to bone in the Victorian era, so the filmmakers must have seen this and been like, “It’s cool, bro.”’
I clicked on the link and I hope Josh had an “institutional” affiliation and didn’t need to pay $37.50 to read ONE article about Victorian cousin marriages! But that era was when people were becoming more aware of the genetic hazards. Queen Victoria herself married her cousin Albert but now we know that caused hemophilia down the line (her great-grandson was Tsarevich Alexis). Her contemporary Ferdinand of Austria was the result of several generations of cousin marriages: he had severe epilepsy and in pictures his head looks oddly squashed-in.
Dickens had David Copperfield marry his cousin. On the other hand, George Eliot in one of her novels – damn, can’t find it now! – had a character who strongly disapproves of cousin marriage and discourages his nephew’s interest in his daughter.
Perhaps the Blue Lagoon is now populated 40 years later by 6-toed, 6-fingered hemophiliacs?
stuffedpuppy
Good grief, Josh Galassi needs to go out more! Blue Lagoon in 2022! Wow, wait til he goes through the Lars vonTrier collection of movies: adult supervision suggested…lol
stuffedpuppy
Number 6 batsh*t thing to learn:
When pleasuring himself, Chris Atkins becomes a leftie…
Of course they used body doubles!!
humble charlie
i would have loved to see their heads of hair make passionate love to each other
Rock Star
When I met Chris, he was very nice and accomodating.
I still have photos of us but I don’t think you can put photos on this forum. Can you?
kcguy
After seeing that film I always wondered about my sexuality. I believe it helped me to feel comfortable with men and seeing bulges. I always fetishized speedo‘s even to this day in some of his pictures later in speedo‘s were big JO materials for me as a teenager.
mb71
Yes same for me. I would have been 11 I think when I saw it, so the boy and Chris playing him grown up piqued my interest. Definately images I kept in my mind JO-ing too.
skie763
I never thought until now that they were real cousins.
skie763
It was a sweet beautiful film. Brings back great memories. Why does someone have to shit all over it?
Peter
Brooke Shields is known to have an exceptionally high IQ; her answers to the interviewer are on point. And not once did she use the lazy filler, “like,” as so may older actors/celebrities do now. I remember seeing the film in a theatre and being stirred by the beauty of Chris; it was a landmark film for its time.
Man About Town
Hopefully Joshie-poo has graduated to behaving and writing like an adult, instead of a Cameron Scheetz tween girl wannabe.
“I’m pretty sure I didn’t even know how to form a coherent sentence at that age. Let alone do an entire 10 minute, graceful AF interview.”
Hence my comment above!
Saskatchewan
Such a special film for me. Had a mad crush on Chris. Still do:)
SinthiaDoom
I can remember when Publix supermarkets in Florida demanded that we pull that copy from their stores. The following week all of the rags at the checkout had a shield you could only see the top / headline everywhere else was covered up
cuteguy
Some things don’t age well. Look at that homophobe in the closet, Dean Cain. He was Superman!! And now he’s just an as_shole. And Friends is homophobic and racist. Times change, thankfully. Unfortunately we still have ppl like Majorie Taylor Biggot and the rest of the GQP who refuse to evolve and stay ignorant. That’s why they continue to be on a discredited news source like Faux News
theaterbloke
While it’s a bit off topic to bring Dean Cain into the conversation (although I think he dated Brooke Shields when they were at Princeton,) it should be noted that he has taken gay roles in his career, most notably in The Broken Hearts Club.
It is a shame he just wants town the libs nowadays.
FreddieW
Yes, I remember having a thing for Chris Atkins. But it was nothing compared to the thing I had — and still have — for Marc Singer after I went to see “Beastmaster” 3 times in a few days.
Jim
The movie was a tedious yet beautiful film.
It could not be made today. Sad that we can’t find a way of making our young people safe while creating art.
kevininbuffalo
Blue Lagoon was a bore. Chris Atkins though…WOW! He made it worth watching.
And there are nude pics of Chris on the web.