Love Story (1970)

A boy and a girl from different backgrounds fall in love regardless of their upbringing - and then tragedy strikes.

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

Erich Segal

Stars:

Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal, John Marley

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ali MacGraw	...	Jenny
Ryan O'Neal	...	Oliver
John Marley	...	Phil
Ray Milland	...	Oliver Barrett III
Russell Nype	...	Dean Thompson
Katharine Balfour	...	Mrs. Barrett (as Katherine Balfour)
Sydney Walker	...	Dr. Shapeley
Robert Modica	...	Dr. Addison
Walker Daniels	...	Oliver's Roommate, Ray
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Oliver's Roommate, Hank (as Tom Lee Jones)
John Merensky	...	Oliver's Roommate, Steve
Andrew Duncan	...	Rev. Blauvelt
Charlotte Ford	...	Clerk
Sudie Bond	...	(as Sudi Bond)
Julie Garfield	...	Bystander at Harpsichord Concerto

Storyline

Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV and music student Jennifer Cavilleri share a chemistry they cannot deny - and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other. When they marry, Oliver's wealthy father threatens to disown him. Jenny tries to reconcile the Barrett men, but to no avail. Oliver and Jenny continue to build their life together. Relying only on each other, they believe love can fix anything. But fate has other plans. Soon, what began as a brutally honest friendship becomes the love story of their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

tragedy | death | ice hockey | rich boy poor girl | young love | 

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Taglines:

Love means never having to say you're sorry

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and a love scene

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Historia de amor

Filming Locations:

Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$106,400,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$136,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Love Story Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Arthur Hiller's first choice for Oliver was Beau Bridges, who turned it down.

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Goofs

When Jennifer calls on the phone Oliver's father , the number she dials is 1-333-334.. (not in the visible frame), but the number Oliver told her to dial is 1-3383434.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Oliver Barrett IV: 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?

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Crazy Credits

Unusually, for a movie released in the early 1970s, there were no opening credits after the title has been shown.

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Connections

Referenced in The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971)

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Soundtracks

Search for Jenny
(uncredited)
Written by Francis Lai

User Reviews

A Witty Tragic Love Story

I had been avoiding watching 'Love Story' because I thought it would be another one of those corny sugarcoated love story with excessive melodrama. After hearing a friend's recommendation, I decided to give it a chance and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a simple film in terms of everything: execution, performances, background score, direction, dialogues...The writing is incredibly great as the dialogues are creatively and amusingly witty. The movie stays focused on Jennifer's and Oliver's relationship that is portrayed with the utmost simplicity. A movie like 'Love Story' could have easily gone wrong but kudos to director Hiller for his fine execution and for pulling all the ingredients together so effectively with the help of whimsical cinematography, impressive soundtrack and fine actors. The chemistry between O'Neal and McGraw sizzles on screen. Both actors complement each other brilliantly and convincingly portray the 'opposites that attract'. Hiller has done a commendable job by bringing these two actors together and a strong rapport with them to enhance their work. Of the supporting cast John Marley and Ray Milland stand out by their strong presence. Overall, I liked the film a lot for its subtlety, ambiguity and simplicity that makes it feel more genuine. Clearly it stood the test of time as there are hardly any more movies being made these days that could reach anywhere near the level of this classic.