| Love Story | |
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| Directed by | Arthur Hiller |
| Produced by | Howard G. Minsky |
| Written by | Erich Segal |
| Starring | Ali MacGraw Ryan O'Neal John Marley Ray Milland |
| 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 and directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well-known as a 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 during 1978. Love Story starred Ryan O'Neal, Ali MacGraw, and Ray Milland and also is the film debut of Tommy Lee Jones with a minor role.
The novel also includes the double meaning of a love story between Oliver and his father.
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The film 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 Cavelleri, 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, they consult a medical specialist, who after repeated tests, informs Oliver that Jenny is ill and will soon die. Oliver then tries again. While this is 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. When the senior Barrett asks if he needs the money because he got some girl "in trouble", Oliver says yes instead of telling his father the truth about Jenny's condition.
From her hospital bed, Jenny speaks with her father about funeral arrangements, then asks for Oliver. She tells him to avoid blaming himself, and asks him to embrace her tightly before she dies. They lie together on the hospital bed.
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."
Erich Segal originally wrote the screenplay and sold it to Paramount. While the movie was being produced, 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 best seller on its own in advance of the movie.
The main song in the film, "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story" was a major success, particularly the vocal rendition recorded by Andy Williams.
Two lines from the film have entered popular culture:
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 comedy What's Up, Doc?, which stars O'Neal (who played Oliver in Love Story), 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."
Love Story was nominated for seven 1970 Academy Awards and won one
It was nominated in the categories of
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, Erich Segal received one for his screenplay as well. O'Neal and Marley were each nominees.
American Film Institute recognition
Although popular with audiences and most reviewers, such as Roger Ebert[1] the film was disliked by many others. Newsweek felt the film was contrived[1] and film critic Judith Crist called Love Story "Camille with bullshit."[2] Writer Harlan Ellison was on record in The Other Glass Teat, his book of collected criticism, as calling it "shit". President Richard Nixon however, reportedly enjoyed the film, ironically regretting only that it contained so much cursing.[citation needed]
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".
O'Neal and Milland reprised their roles for a sequel, Oliver's Story, that was released in 1978. It was based on Erich Segal's 1977 novel. The film begins with Jenny's funeral and then picks up 18 months after her death. Oliver is a successful, but unhappy lawyer in New York. Although he still mourns over Jenny's passing, he manages to find love with an heiress Marcie Bonwit (Candice Bergen). Suffering from comparisons to the original, Oliver's Story did poorly with both audiences and critics.
In his glossary of movie conventions and clichés, Roger Ebert defines "Ali MacGraw's Disease" as a "Movie illness in which the only symptom is that the sufferer grows more beautiful as death approaches."[3]
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