Love Story (1970 film)

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This article is about the 1970 film. For other uses, see Love Story (disambiguation).
Love Story

original movie poster
Directed by Arthur Hiller
Produced by Howard G. Minsky
Written by Erich Segal
Starring Ali MacGraw
Ryan O'Neal
Music by Francis Lai
Cinematography Richard C. Kratina
Editing by Robert C. Jones
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) December 16, 1970
Running time 99 min.
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Followed by Oliver's Story
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal coordinated with his 1970 best-selling novel. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well-known as a tear-jerking tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute (#9 on the list), and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story in 1978. Love Story starred Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal and also marked the film debut of a then-unknown Tommy Lee Jones, who played a minor role in the film.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The novel tells of Oliver Barrett IV, who comes from a family of wealthy and well-respected Harvard University graduates. Partly to break the traditional Ivy League mold, the Harvard student meets and falls in love with Jennifer Cavilleri, a working-class, quick-witted Radcliffe College student. Upon graduation from college, the two decide to marry against the wishes of Oliver's father, who thereupon severs ties with his son.

Without his father's financial support, the couple struggles to pay Oliver's way through Harvard Law School with Jenny working as a private school teacher. Graduating third in his class, Oliver takes a position at a respectable New York law firm.

With Oliver's new income, the pair of 24-year-olds decide to have a child. After failing to conceive, they consult a medical specialist, who, after repeated tests, informs Oliver that Jenny is ill and will soon die. While not stated explicitly, she appears to have leukemia.

As instructed by his doctor, Oliver attempts to live a "normal life" without telling Jenny of her condition. Jenny nevertheless discovers her ailment after confronting her doctor about her recent illness. With their days together numbered, Jenny begins costly cancer therapy, and Oliver soon becomes unable to afford the multiplying hospital expenses. Desperate, he seeks financial relief from his father. Instead of telling his father what the money is truly for, Oliver leads him to believe that he needs it because he has had an affair which led to a pregnancy.

From her hospital bed, Jenny speaks with her father about funeral arrangements, and then asks for Oliver. She tells him to avoid blaming himself, and asks him to embrace her tightly before she dies.

The novel also includes the double meaning of a love story between Oliver and his father, highlighted by the scene between Oliver and his father at the end of the book. When Mr. Barrett realizes that Jenny is ill and that his son borrowed the money for her, he immediately sets out for New York. By the time he reaches the hospital, Jenny is dead. Mr. Barrett apologizes to his son, who replies with something Jenny once told him: "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

[edit] Production

[edit] Writing

Erich Segal originally wrote the screenplay and sold it to Paramount. While the movie was in production, Paramount wanted Segal to write a novel to help pre-publicize the movie's Valentine's Day release. When the novel came out, it became a runaway best seller on its own in advance of the movie.

While the movie has antagonists like every other story, it features no villains. From Harvard's nemesis on the ice — Cornell — to the aristocratic elder Barretts, every character is good at heart.

The film also reflected the times: Jennifer most likely has leukemia, but the characters never utter the word due to silence over cancer at the time.[citation needed] In the novelization however, it is specifically mentioned that she has a form of leukemia.

The main song in the film also called "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" was a major hit, particularly the vocal rendition recorded by Andy Williams.

[edit] Quotations

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Two lines from the film have entered popular culture:

  • "What can you say about a twenty-five year old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. The Beatles. And me." -- The first line in the film, which summarizes the film.
  • "Love means never having to say you're sorry." -- Spoken twice in the film; once by Jennifer when Oliver is about to apologise to her for his anger. It is also spoken by Oliver to his father when his father says "I'm sorry" after hearing of Jennifer's death. The quote made it to #13 onto the American Film Institute's AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of top movie quotes. The 1972 screwball comedy What's Up, Doc?, which stars O'Neal, mocks this trademark line. At the end of that film, when Barbra Streisand's character coos "Love means never having to say you're sorry" while batting her eyelashes, O'Neal's character responds with the line: "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard."

[edit] Main cast

[edit] Awards and nominations

Awards:

Nominations:

[edit] Critical reaction

Although very popular with audiences and most reviewers, such as Roger Ebert[1] the film failed to resonate with many others. Newsweek felt the film was contrived[2] and film critic Judith Crist called Love Story "Camille with bullshit."[citation needed]

At the beginning of every academic year at Harvard, the movie is screened for freshmen, who generally respond derisively with Rocky Horror-type catch phrases and antics.

Despite a modest critical backlash, the film remains a popular culture icon. It holds the number nine spot on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions, which recognizes the top 100 love stories in American cinema. The film also spawned a trove of imitations, parodies, and homages in countless films, having re-engergize melodrama on the silver screen as well as helping to set the template for the modern "chick flick".

[edit] Musical selections from the soundtrack

[edit] Trivia

The name Jennifer was the most popular name for baby girls in the United States from 1970 to 1984.[3] Though the name was already rising in popularity through the 1960s, the popularity of the book and movie is often cited as the reason Jennifer reached number one and stayed there 15 years.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]--Roger Ebert's 1970 print review.
  2. ^ [2]--Roger Ebert's 1970 print review.
  3. ^ Popular baby names

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Arthur Hiller

The Careless Years (1957) • This Rugged Land (1962) • Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) • The Wheeler Dealers (1963) • The Americanization of Emily (1964) • Promise Her Anything (1965) • Penelope (1966) • Tobruk (1967) • The Tiger Makes Out (1967) • Popi (1969) • The Out-of-Towners (1970) • Love Story (1970) • The Hospital (1971) • Plaza Suite (1971) • Man of La Mancha (1972) • The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974) • The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) • Silver Streak (1976) • W.C. Fields and Me (1976) • The In-Laws (1979) • Nightwing (1979) • Making Love (1982) • Author! Author! (1982) • Romantic Comedy (1983) • The Lonely Guy (1984) • Teachers (1984) • Outrageous Fortune (1987) • See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) • Taking Care of Business (1990) • The Babe (1992) • Married to It (1993) • Carpool (1996) • An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) • The Trouble With Frank (2005)