The Blue Lagoon (1980)

Two children are shipwrecked on a tropical island in the South Pacific. With no adults to guide them, the two make a simple life together, unaware that sexual maturity will eventually intervene.

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers:

Henry De Vere Stacpoole (novel), Douglas Day Stewart

Stars:

Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins, Leo McKern

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Brooke Shields	...	Emmeline
Christopher Atkins	...	Richard
Leo McKern	...	Paddy Button
William Daniels	...	Arthur Lestrange
Elva Josephson	...	Young Emmeline
Glenn Kohan	...	Young Richard
Alan Hopgood	...	Captain
Gus Mercurio	...	Officer
Jeffrey Kleiser	...	Lookout (as Jeffrey Means)
Bradley Pryce	...	Little Paddy
Chad Timmerman	...	Infant Paddy (as Chad Timmermans)
Gert Jacoby	...	Sailor
Alex Hamilton	...	Sailor
Richard Evanson	...	Sailor

Storyline

On a journey to San Francisco, Richard, his father and cousin Emmeline find themselves on a ship about to explode. Rushed to a lifeboat with Paddy Button, the two children escape while their father (and uncle) are on another lifeboat. In the chaos following, the lifeboats are separated. Paddy, Richard and Emmeline find themselves with no food and no water stuck in the middle of nowhere. After some time, the three come across an uncharted paradise, where Paddy quickly teaches the children fishing, hunting and building. After maybe a month or two, Paddy gets very drunk off a barrel of rum found on the island when they first arrive, and drowns in the middle of the night. Emmeline and Richard, now alone and very scared, move location and rebuild their island home. Many years later, the two young teenagers have developed a very real home, but hormones and feelings between the two strain their friendship, until Richard, who is still very determined to reach San Francisco, is let down by ...

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Plot Keywords:

island | lifeboat | tropical island | nature | ship | 

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Taglines:

Two children are shipwrecked alone on a lost tropical island. Nature is kind to them. They thrive on the bounty of the jungle and the lagoon. The boy grows tall. The girl beautiful. They swim naked over coral reefs. They run in a cathedral of trees. And the warm winds, the tropic moon, the silk sand conspire to enchant them. When their love happens, it is natural as the sea, and as powerful. Love as nature intended to be.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 July 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

La laguna azul

Filming Locations:

Nanuya Levu Island, Fiji

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 2,450,217 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Matt Dillon was the original choice for Richard but turned the role down.

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Goofs

Richard is right handed as a child but left handed as an adult.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Emmeline: Richard, don't go out too far.
Young Richard: Em's a fraidy cat!
Arthur Lestrange: Richard! Emmeline! Come back here! This minute! And be careful!

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Connections

Followed by Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991)

User Reviews

Critically underrated film that resonates with global audience

I've never understood the critical slam this film has received. Then I saw the widescreen dvd version and understood; everyone has been watching it in pan and scan! The film is a visual poem. So much of the story telling is done through visual information. The impact of this is lost when the cinematography is altered. Remember that Nestor Almendros received an Academy Award nomination for his work on this film. The film has resonated with global audiences for so long for this very reason. I suggest people watch the dvd commentary with Randal Kleiser and Brooke Shields to get a better understanding of why this film is still such a popular one.

People attack the acting, but these are children left alone with no one to guide them into adult sophistication. Their interaction and reactions to situations are very consistent with this scenario. Yes, the birth scene is a little rushed, but do we really need to see the umbilical cord? Not all films need to be about gritty reality, ala "Taxi Driver." No one asks to see the bloody guts of the smashed witch in "The Wizard of Oz."

It is a beautiful, romantic film that speaks to millions of people. It seems that only the most skeptical cynics cannot embrace this film.