Endless Love (1981)

A high school student's love for a 15-year-old girl is thwarted by circumstance and accident.

Director:

Franco Zeffirelli

Writers:

Scott Spencer (novel), Judith Rascoe (screenplay)

Stars:

Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brooke Shields	...	Jade Butterfield
Martin Hewitt	...	David Axelrod
Shirley Knight	...	Ann Butterfield
Don Murray	...	Hugh Butterfield
Richard Kiley	...	Arthur Axelrod
Beatrice Straight	...	Rose Axelrod
James Spader	...	Keith Butterfield (as Jimmy Spader)
Ian Ziering	...	Sammy Butterfield
Robert Moore	...	Dr. Miller
Penelope Milford	...	Ingrid Orchester
Jan Miner	...	Mrs. Switzer
Salem Ludwig	...	Mr. Switzer
Leon B. Stevens	...	Judge
Vida Wright	...	Sonia
Jeffrey Marcus	...	Leonard (as Jeff Marcus)

Storyline

Two young kids fall in love with each other. But the passion is too consuming for the parents of Jade. The parents try to stop them from seeing each other. But when this doesn't work David burns down the house and is sent away. This doesn't stop him from seeing her. When he gets out he goes to look for her. But in the end the passion for his first love is too strong and she has to leave or this love will kill both of them.

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Plot Keywords:

love | passion | first love | impossible love | adolescent | 

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Taglines:

She is 15. He is 17. The love every parent fears.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor eterno

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jami Gertz's screen debut.

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Quotes

Arthur Axelrod: No one ever thinks they can forget their first love. But we can.

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Connections

Referenced in Happy Gilmore (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Dreaming Of You"
Performed by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Written by Lionel Richie and Thomas McClary (as Thomas F. McClary)
Produced by Lionel Richie
PGP Music/Brockman Music (ASCAP)
Administered by Intersong Music

User Reviews

An endless amount of flaws is more like it.

Based on the praised novel of the same name, this film deals with the obessive love between two teenagers during a span of about 5 years. With all the talent behind this, including the director, Brooke Shields, and the source of the material you would think this would be a terrific movie, but don't be fooled. It is awful. The two leads are OK, but the rest of the cast just hams it up in a most embarrasing way, the script is really lumpy, the editing perfectly awful, and the direction nowhere near as good as the directors previous efforts (which include Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew). Some people may find it good on a so bad its good level. Others beware. My rating: 3 out of 10. (because the title song is excellent)