I have seen the movie 100 times and never noticed this. Am I really unobservant? Did anyone else notice this?
Well, it’s made clear she admires him. I suppose it could be construed as a “crush,” but it certainly wasn’t played up by my recollection.
I think it was fairly obvious. Remember when she fell down, he helped her up, and she didn’t let go of his hand? This was on the way to the sick triceratops.
If Lex is Laura Dern and Grant is Sam Neill (sorry it’s been a while since I read the book), yes, even for a Speilberg movie, it was pretty obvious (but not necessarily a crush she was self-aware of).
Yep. The camera even pans over to Laura Dern, who is right behind Lex and Grant, and it shows her smiling as if she recognizes the fact that Lex has a crush on Grant.
Laura Dern is Doctor Ellie Satler. Lex is the granddaughter, played by Ariana Richards.
Grant is Sam Neill’s character, though.
How, that’s creepier than I thought. Maybe the whole dinosaur thing is just a metaphor for old pedophiles.
How is it creepy? A young girl has a crush on an older guy. It’s never implied that he has a crush on her.
Yes, it is fairly obvious she has a crush on him.
Holy crap, Ariana Richards is now 31 years old! Well, that’s just ridiculous.
And she’s a fine artist.
Wasnt this pretty obvious in the film?
Grant doesnt like kids, so the kids really like him.
Apart from the hand holding scene at the triceratops, there was also the merry-go-round when getting into the cars at the resort. Do you remember Laura Derns character laughing at Grant as the kids follow him from car to car?
Yes, it was pretty blatant. Don’t see how anyone could miss it.
Yeah. Also when Lex goes up to Grant and is all, “She [Satler] said we should ride with you because she thought it would be good for you.” Tim really admires Grant and Lex has a little crush and Grant’s really uncomfortable around kids. But like all right thinking Spielberg heroes, he learns to stop worrying and love the cult of child!
Satler doesn’t just have a crush on Grant. They’re in a relationship, though she marries someone else eventually (seen in the third movie). In the book they’re not involved at all.
Yes, it was massively obvious to me as well.
I don’t think they’re in a relationship in the movie.
But when Ian Malcolm asks him if they are, he says they are. Also, they’re definitely flirting, hugging, and Ellie wants Grant to like kids…seems like she envisions a future with him and that she wants to have children with him. Though that might make a good Cafe Society poll post: Are Alan Grant and Ellie Satler dating/in a relationship in Jurassic Park?
yeah I definitely thought Ellie/Grant were a thing in the movies. But we all know how observant I am.
I will defend myself by saying that Tim’s admiration of Grant is far more obvious than Lex’s
The Grant/kid one-way admiration always reminded me of how cats will pick out the one person in a roomful of strangers who doesn’t like cats, and head toward that lap. 
See, I thought it was just like Lex’s crush, all one way. Ellie likes Grant, mostly, but Grant’s not looking for a relationship and on top of that, he hates kids.
But then why is Alan irritated when Ellie flirts with Ian? And why would he tell him to back off if he wasn’t interested in her?