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 | male female relationship | 

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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

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Ray Milland and Tommy Lee Jones; and three Oscar nominees: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal, and John Marley.

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Goofs

During HarvardVDartmouth Oliver is seen wearing #7 jersey for Harvard. In the penalty box he tells Jenny that he is concentrating on how he is going to total the Dartmouth player who had him sent to the box. He points to the Dartmouth player who at this point has just taken down another Harvard player that is clearly wearing #7.

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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

Spoofed in The Red Green Show: Damn You Emu (2000)

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Soundtracks

I Love You, Phil
(uncredited)
Written by Francis Lai

User Reviews

Effectively simple and straightforward tearjerker

A box office phenomenon at the time (this was one of those movie that people reportedly waited in line for hours to see), LOVE STORY has continued to be ridiculed by cynics and adored by romantics for decades. The secret to the film's ultimate effectiveness is in it's simplicity. Director Arthur Hiller wisely films Eric Segal's screenplay (an adaptation of his own best-selling novel) in a concise and straightforward manner, allowing audiences to become enamored with the characters and involved with their plight. The film even manages to make subtle commentary on class struggles, personal identity, and even the changing attitudes of religion, all of which while never appearing preachy or obvious under Hiller's unpretentious direction.

Ali MacGraw brings an undeniable spunk to her characterization here which helps undercut the potential sentimentality of the picture, and lends the finale a greater emotional punch. The natural handsomeness and effortless charm of Ryan O'Neal is used to exceptional effect, and the supporting performances of Ray Milland and John Marley (as two very different types of fathers) are terrific. This is a film that never attempts to disguise it's own thematic manipulations, which may very be why it remains so effective. French composer Francis Lai's haunting original score further enhances the film, which is justifiably considered by many to be one of the all-time tearjerkers.