Love Story (1970 film)
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| Love Story | |
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Arthur Hiller |
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| 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 | United States |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | Oliver's Story |
Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal based on 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 actor Ryan O'Neal and actress Ali MacGraw and also marked the film debut of Tommy Lee Jones in a minor role.
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."
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[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 release of the movie Valentine's Day. 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] The novel, on the other hand, stated that she has a form of leukemia.
The main song in the film, "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story" was a major hit, particularly the vocal rendition recorded by Andy Williams.
[edit] Quotations
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Love Story (film) |
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 story.
Spoken twice in the film; once by Jennifer when Oliver is about to apologize 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
- Ali MacGraw: Jennifer Cavelleri-Barrett
- Ryan O'Neal: Oliver Barrett IV
- John Marley: Phil Cavelleri
- Ray Milland: Oliver Barrett III
- Russell Nype: Dean Thompson
- Katharine Balfour: Mrs. Barrett
- Sydney Walker: Dr. Shapely
- Robert Modica: Dr. Addison
- Walker Daniels: Ray Stratton
- Tommy Lee Jones: Hank Simpson
[edit] Awards and nominations
Love Story was nominated for seven 1971 Academy Awards and won one
It was nominated in the categories of
- Best Picture - Howard G. Minsky
- Best Director - Arthur Hiller
- Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Not Previously Published - Eric Segal
- Best Actor in a Leading Role - Ryan O'Neal
- Best Actress in a Leading Role - Ali MacGraw
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role - John Marley
In addition, Love Story won five Golden Globe Awards including Best Drama Motion Picture and Best Director for Arthur Hiller. Ali MacGraw received an award for Best Actress, while Francis Lai received an award as well for his score. Finally, Eric Segal received one for his screenplay as well. O'Neal and Marley were each nominees.
American Film Institute recognition
- 2002 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions - #9
- 2003 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes
- Love means never having to say you are sorry - #13
[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[1] and film critic Judith Crist called Love Story "Camille with bullshit."[citation needed] Writer Harlan Ellison was also on record in his book The Other Glass Teat as calling it "shit". President Richard Nixon however, reportedly enjoyed the film, regretting only that it contained so much cursing.
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. The film is considered farcical by most Harvard students.
The film also holds a place with Cornell students. Before each Cornell vs. Harvard hockey game, the Cornell Big Red Pep Band members traditionally watch the beginning of the movie where Cornell beats Harvard at hockey, skip the plot of the film, and cynically rejoice at the end when Jenny dies. During the game, the pep band plays the theme from the movie in an attempt to set the tone for the game.
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-engergized melodrama on the silver screen as well as helping to set the template for the modern "chick flick".
[edit] Musical selections from the soundtrack
- Concerto No. 3 in D Major for harpsichord, third movement — by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Sonata In F Major for flute and harpsichord, first movement — by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Joy To The World — by Georg Friedrich Händel and Isaac Watts
- A Fair Rose Is Blooming (Es ist ein Ros entsprungen) — by Michael Praetorius
- Love Story — by Francis Lai, performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra
- Snow Frolic — by Francis Lai, performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra
- I Love You, Phil — by Francis Lai
- The Christmas Tree — (traditional)
- Search for Jenny — by Francis Lai
- Bozo Barrett — by Francis Lai
- Long Walk Home — by Francis Lai
- Skating in Central Park — by John Lewis
[edit] Trivia
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (September 2008) |
- The name Jennifer was the most popular name for baby girls in the United States from 1970 to 1984.[2] 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]
- The star-crossed couple in Philip Roth's 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, later adapted into a 1969 film, shares characterizations with Erich Segal's married couple in Love Story, with minor tweaks: Jewish actress Ali MacGraw appears in both films as the female lead (in LS she plays Jennifer, a Catholic, Italian-American working-class Radcliffe student; in GC she plays well-heeled, Jewish Radcliffe student Brenda Patimkin); in LS, actor Ryan O'Neal plays relatively successful Harvard law graduate Oliver; in GC, Jewish actor Richard Benjamin plays Neil Klugman, a Jewish working-class Rutgers student; the (marital) relationship in LS is cut short by Jennifer's terminal disease, and the (doomed) relationship in GC is terminated by Neil and Brenda's irreconcilable class differences (in real-life, interestingly enough, actor Benjamin is still married to Sicilian-American actress Paula Prentiss, since 1961).
[edit] References
- ^ a b [1]--Roger Ebert's 1970 print review.
- ^ Popular baby names
- Vincent Canby. "Perfection and a 'Love Story.'" The New York Times. December 18, 1970. 44.
[edit] External links
- Love Story at the Internet Movie Database
- Love Story at Allmovie
- Film Rewind: Revisiting Love Story (fan summary)
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