The other night I watched one of my favorite movies, a Disney movie from the early 90s, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. One of my favorite things about the movie is the main male character, Al. He’s actually good looking. It’s funny to me that in a lot of films, I don’t find the oh-so-attractive male star all that attractive. But that got me thinking about attractiveness in general. It’s so subjective, is it not? I feel like women are often the subject of scrutiny on the big screen, but why not flip things around? Me and some girlfriends were recently talking about this very thing: handsome male actors. Oh, how the opinions varied.

Al Carver (played by Michael Schoeffling) in Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken is an attractive guy, and not just because of that thick, dark hair or his cool hats. He has a nice build, sure, and I can appreciate that in a G-rated film that I so loved as a little girl. I realize now that the actor who played Al was back then nearly my age now. Ha. But I thought he was handsome even back then. What makes him attractive primarily is his gentleness and kindness toward Sonora, the lead female actor. He’s a gentleman. He helps her when she falls from the horse. He’s a good friend to her. He likes her with her done-up hair and blue open-back dress. He sneaks up behind her and invites her to go swimming on a hot summer night. He writes to her when he leaves, keeping a promise. He supports her aspirations. He honors her, even staying when things go south. His horse training skills, dark hair, deep voice, and strong-looking forearms earn him some points as well. ~