Love Story (1970 film)

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

Love Story
Love Story (1970 film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Arthur Hiller
Produced by Howard G. Minsky
Screenplay by Erich Segal
Based on Love Story
by Erich Segal
Starring
Music by Francis Lai
Cinematography Richard Kratina
Edited by Robert C. Jones
Production
company
Love Story Company
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • December 16, 1970 (1970-12-16)
Running time
 100 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2.2 million
Box office $136.4 million[2]

Love Story is a 1970 American romantic drama film written by Erich Segal, who was also the author of the best-selling novel of the same name. It was produced by Howard G. Minsky[3] and directed by Arthur Hiller and starred Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal, alongside John Marley, Ray Milland, and Tommy Lee Jones in his film debut in a minor role.

A tragedy, the film is considered one of the most romantic by the American Film Institute (#9 on the list) and is one of the highest-grossing films of all time.[4] It was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story (1978), starring O'Neal with Candice Bergen.

Plot[edit]

Oliver Barrett IV is the heir of an American upper-class East Coast family attending Harvard College, where he plays ice hockey. He meets Jennifer "Jenny" Cavilleri, a quick-witted, working-class Radcliffe College student of classical music; they quickly fall in love despite their differences.

When Jenny reveals her plans to study in Paris, Oliver is upset that he does not figure in those plans. He proposes, she accepts, and they travel to the Barrett mansion so she can meet Oliver's parents, who are unimpressed with her and judgmental. Later, Oliver's father tells him that he will cut him off financially if he marries Jenny. After graduation Oliver and Jenny marry nonetheless.

Without his father's financial support, the couple struggle to pay Oliver's way through Harvard Law School; Jenny works as a teacher. Oliver graduates third in his class and takes a position at a respectable New York City law firm. They are ready to start a family, but fail to conceive. After many tests Oliver is told that Jenny is terminally ill.

Oliver attempts to live a "normal life" without telling Jenny of her condition, but she finds out after confronting her doctor. Oliver buys tickets to Paris but she declines to go, wanting only time with him. To pay for Jenny's cancer therapy, Oliver seeks money from his estranged father, who asks of him if he has "gotten a girl in trouble." Oliver simply says yes, and his father writes a check.

From her hospital bed, Jenny makes funeral arrangements with her father, then asks for Oliver. She tells him to not blame himself, insisting that he never held her back from music and it was worth it for the love they shared. Jenny's last wish is made when she asks him to embrace her tightly before she dies. As grief-stricken Oliver leaves the hospital, he sees his father outside, having rushed to New York City from Massachusetts as soon as he heard the news about Jenny and wanting to offer his help. Oliver tells him, "Jenny's dead," and his father says "I'm sorry," to which Oliver responds, "Love– Love means never having to say you're sorry." Oliver walks back alone to the outdoor ice rink, where Jenny had watched him skate the day she was hospitalized.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Erich Segal originally wrote the screenplay and sold it to Paramount Pictures. While the film was being produced, Paramount wanted Segal to write a novel based on it, to be published on Valentine's Day to help pre-publicize the release of the film. When the novel came out, it became a bestseller on its own in advance of the film.

The original director was Larry Peerce. He backed out and was replaced by Anthony Harvey. Harvey dropped out and was replaced by Arthur Hiller. Jimmy Webb wrote a score for the film that was not used.

The lead role was turned down by Beau Bridges, Michael York and Jon Voight.[5] Ryan O'Neal was given the lead role on the recommendation of Erich Segal, who had worked with the actor on The Games; he was paid $25,000.[6]

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

Reception[edit]

Although a success at the box office and with most reviewers, such as Roger Ebert,[7] the film was disliked by many others. Newsweek felt the film was contrived[7] and film critic Judith Crist called Love Story "Camille with bullshit."[8] Writer Harlan Ellison was on record in The Other Glass Teat, his book of collected criticism, as calling it "shit."

The film is scored number nine on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions list, 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-energized melodrama on the silver screen as well as helping to set the template for the modern "chick flick".

The film is among the highest-grossing films in Canada and the United States, gaining $106,397,186 in rentals. It grossed an additional $30 million in international film markets. At the time of release, it was the 6th highest-grossing film of all time in U.S and Canada gross only. Adjusted for inflation, the film remains one of the top 40 domestic grosses of all time.[4]

The Crimson Key Society, a student association, has sponsored showings of Love Story during orientation to each incoming class of Harvard College freshmen since the late 1970s. During the showings, society members and other audience members mock, boo, and jeer "maudlin, old-fashioned and just plain schlocky" moments to humorously build school spirit.[9]

Overall, Love Story has received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes retrospectively collected reviews from 23 critics and gave the film a score of 57%.[10]

Soundtrack[edit]

The soundtrack from the film was released separately as an album, and distributed by Quality Records.[11]

Musical selections from the soundtrack[edit]

  1. Theme from Love Story — by Francis Lai, performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra
  2. Snow Frolic — by Francis Lai, performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra
  3. Piano Sonata in F Major — by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  4. I Love You, Phil — by Francis Lai
  5. The Christmas Trees — by Francis Lai
  6. Search for Jenny — by Francis Lai
  7. Bozo Barrett — by Francis Lai
  8. Skating in Central Park — by John Lewis
  9. The Long Walk Home — by Francis Lai
  10. Harpsichord Concerto No. 3 in D Major — by Johann Sebastian Bach
  11. Theme from Love Story (Finale) — by Francis Lai, performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra

Awards and nominations[edit]

Love Story was nominated for seven 1971 Academy Awards, winning one:

It was nominated in the categories of:

In addition, Love Story was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards, winning five:

It was also nominated for:

American Film Institute recognition

Quotations[edit]

Two lines from the film have entered popular culture:

What can you say about a 25-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach? The Beatles? And me?
Love means never having to say you're sorry.

The latter is 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 comedy What's Up, Doc? (1972), which stars O'Neal, refers to this line at the end, when Barbra Streisand's character says "Love means never having to say you're sorry", then bats her eyelashes. O'Neal's character responds, "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard."

Sequels and remake[edit]

O'Neal and Milland reprised their roles for a sequel, Oliver's Story, released in 1978. It was based on Segal's 1977 novel. The film begins with Jenny's funeral, then picks up 18 months later. Oliver is a successful, but unhappy, lawyer in New York. Although still mourning Jenny, he manages to find love with heiress Marcie Bonwit (Candice Bergen). Suffering from comparisons to the original, Oliver's Story did poorly with both audiences and critics.

NBC broadcast Love Story, a short-lived romantic anthology television series, in 1973-1974. Although it shared its name with the novel and movie and used the same theme song – "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" – as the movie, it otherwise was unrelated to them, with no characters or storylines in common with either the novel or the movie. The original film was remade in India in the Malayalam language entitled Madanolsavam in 1978.

Another movie 'Sanam Teri Kasam' was made also in India in the Hindi language and released in 2016. The film is a modern rendition of the novel Love Story by Eric Segal. The film was released worldwide on 5 February 2016 under the production banner of Eros Now.

"Ali MacGraw's Disease"[edit]

Roger Ebert defined "Ali MacGraw's Disease" as a movie illness in which "the only symptom is that the patient grows more beautiful until finally dying".[14] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that it was as if Jenny was suffering from some vaguely unpleasant Elizabeth Arden treatment.[15]

In popular culture[edit]

In 1971, the twentieth episode of the fourth season of The Carol Burnett Show featured a take-off of the film called "Lovely Story", with Carol Burnett in the MacGraw role and Harvey Korman in the O'Neal role.[16]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "LOVE STORY (AA)". British Board of Film Classification. January 20, 1971. Retrieved February 12, 2016. 
  2. ^ "Love Story, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 29, 2012. 
  3. ^ "Howard Minsky, Hollywood Producer, Is Dead at 94". 
  4. ^ a b "DOMESTIC GROSSES". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-06-25. 
  5. ^ Lee, Grant (28 August 1977). "Ryan O'Neal: A Love-Hate Story". Los Angeles Times. p. q1. 
  6. ^ Haber, Joyce (6 Dec 1970). "Ryan O'Neal Has Plenty of Stories". Los Angeles Times. p. v31. 
  7. ^ a b Roger Ebert (1970-01-01). "Love Story". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2007-12-23. 
  8. ^ Griffin, Robert; Garvey, Michael (2003). In the Kingdom of the Lonely God. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 78. ISBN 0-7425-1485-4. Retrieved 2009-12-27. 
  9. ^ Vinciguerra, Thomas. "The Disease: Fatal. The Treatment: Mockery" The New York Times, 20 August 2010.
  10. ^ "Love Story". 
  11. ^ Ritchie York (26 June 1971). From the Music Capitals of the World. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 47–. ISSN 0006-2510. 
  12. ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees
  13. ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Ballot
  14. ^ Roger Ebert. "For Roseanna (Review)". http://www.rogerebert.com/. Ebert Digital. Retrieved 11 March 2014.  External link in |work= (help)
  15. ^ Vincent Canby (December 18, 1970). "Love Story (1970) – Screen: Perfection and a 'Love Story': Erich Segal's Romantic Tale Begins Run". The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2007. 
  16. ^ IMDB. "The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978) Episode #4.20". Retrieved August 22, 2017. 

External links[edit]

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