Love Story
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Love Story is a 1970 romance motion picture drama directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well-known as a tear-jerking tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute (#9 on the list). The screenplay was written by Erich Segal from his best-selling novel.
Primary cast
- Ali MacGraw: Jennifer Cavalleri
- Ryan O'Neal: Oliver Barrett IV
- John Marley: Phil Cavalleri
- Ray Milland: Oliver Barrett III
- Russell Nype: Dean Thompson
- Katharine Balfour: Mrs. Barrett
- Sydney Walker: Dr. Shapely
- Robert Modica: Dr. Addison
- Walker Daniels: Ray Stratton
- Tommy Lee Jones: Hank Simpson
Plot
The novel tells the story of Oliver Barrett, IV, who comes from a long line 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 Cavilleri, a poor, quick-witted Radcliffe College student. Upon graduation from college, the two decide to marry against the wishes of Oliver's father, who thereafter severs ties with his son.Lacking his father's financial support, the couple struggles to pay Oliver's way through Harvard Law School. Graduating third in his class, Oliver takes a position at a respectable New York law firm, while Jennifer teaches at a private school.
With Oliver's income and Jennifer's salary as a teacher, the pair of 24-year-olds decide to have a child. After several failed attempts at conception, they seek consultation from a medical specialist, who, after repeated tests, informs Oliver that Jennifer has leukemia and will soon die.
As instructed by his doctor, Oliver attempts to live a "normal life" without telling Jennifer of her condition. Jennifer nevertheless discovers her ailment after confronting her doctor about her recent illness. With their days together numbered, Jennifer begins costly cancer therapy, and Oliver soon becomes unable to afford the piling hospital expenses. Desperate, he seeks financial relief from his father, who obliges amicably.
From her hospital bed, Jennifer speaks with her father about funeral arrangements, and then asks for Oliver. She tells him to avoid blaming himself, and asks him to embrace her tightly before she dies.
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.
Removing merely the first 13 words of the book would completely change the meaning and experience of the novel. The sentence is so important to the story that it was narrated verbatim at the beginning of the movie. All 13 words are quoted here for clarity: "What can you say about a twenty-five year old girl who died? That...." Without these few words, the entire novel would be nothing but an unfolding of more-or-less random events; whereas with it, it is a study--individualized for each reader through private thoughts--told through two characters and their relationships with life, on what is most precious about life and love.
Awards and nominations
Award wins:- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama - Ali MacGraw
- Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture - Arthur Hiller
- Academy Award for Original Music Score - Francis Lai
- Golden Globe Award for Original Music Score - Francis Lai
- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Erich Segal
- Academy Award for Best Picture
- Academy Award for Best Actress - Ali MacGraw
- Academy Award for Best Actor - Ryan O'Neal
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama - Ryan O'Neal
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor - John Marley
- Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - John Marley
- Academy Award for Directing - Arthur Hiller
- Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures - Arthur Hiller
- Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay - Erich Segal
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen - Erich Segal
- Grammy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture - Francis Lai
Criticism
Although the film was a critical and commercial success, Love Story has been the subject of a rather large scale backlash by many critics and casual movie fans over the years. The most obvious complaint has to do with the film's script, which has been condemned as a hodgepodge of romance cliches tossed together with sappy ending designed to exploit the emotion of the audience.Furthermore, the film's trademark quote -- "Love means never having to say you're sorry" (which is recited by MacGraw's character) -- has been the subject of much scorn and mockery. Many consider the line to be a nonsensical piece of fluff that has no meaning or depth while others have condemned the quote as advocating the notion that "love" means one can commit abuse, violence, adultery against a loved one and never have to apologise for one's actions no matter how vile they are. Another point-of-view is that the phrase means that apology must come from the heart and not because it is expected; and another, more poignant one, is that the Jennifer character was both flawed, and influenced by her family culture, both absolutely necessary elements to this novel as an art-study on love and life.
Quotations
- "Love means never having to say you're sorry." 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 screwball comedy What's Up, Doc?, which stars O'Neal, 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."
- "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."
Trivia
- The Simpsons features an episode where the Simpson family rent a movie which turns out to be Love Story and features the famous catch-phrase twice ("Love means never having to say you're sorry"). Bart complains about the movie saying: "not another chick flick!"
- Oliver plays for Harvard's hockey team in the movie, and the movie features a game between Harvard and Cornell where Cornell is triumphant. Because of the fierce rivalry between the universities' hockey programs, the Cornell pep band plays the musical theme to the movie every year when the Harvard team skates onto the ice at Lynah Rink. The movie also shows a game between Harvard and Dartmouth, and oddly enough, for the filming, both the Cornell and Dartmouth hockey teams were played by the Dartmouth team.
- Love Story was followed by a 1978 sequel, Oliver's Story.
- Erich Segal based the character of Oliver on both Vice President Al Gore and Gore's Harvard roommate Tommy Lee Jones. When the Nashville Tennessean newspaper misquoted Segal as saying the author had based the story on Al and Tipper Gore's relationship, Al Gore accurately noted in an interview with Time magazine reporters what the newspaper article had said. In a seven page article, Time insinuated that Gore had deliberately lied and a mini-controversy fanned by Gore's political opponents ensued. Segal himself defended Gore and confirmed that, while Al and Tipper did not serve as the models for Oliver and Jenny, he did in fact base Oliver on both Gore and Jones. Segal admitted to being "befuddled" by the Time article. [link]
- This film is the last movie to be filmed on location at Harvard University.
- This was the first film in which Ray Milland appeared without a toupee.
- Francis Lai's theme music for this film was published with lyrics that begin with the words "Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be?" and became a popular vocal number (especially with Andy Williams), but the soundtrack for the film does not include a vocal rendition of the theme.
- In keeping with the musical inclinations of the character Jennifer, the soundtrack for the film includes a sonata for flute and harpsichord by Mozart and a harpsichord concerto by Bach (for this latter piece, MacGraw had to learn how to play the instrument for the recital scene). In one lighter scene, Jennifer rehearses the Christmas hymn "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" with a boy-choir. The virtuoso arrangement of the theme music for piano in the soundtrack likewise suggests the character's professional interest in classical music.
- The Korean drama television series Love Story in Harvard was inspired by the film Love Story. The series and the film share some similar plot points, a similar title, and the setting of Harvard University.
- In an episode of "Saved by the Bell: The College Years," the gang is watching Love Story and shown weeping at its ending. Kelly (Tiffani Theissen) and Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), however, have made out through the entire film, and thus missed essentially the whole film. Kelly asks, "The movie's over? Who died?" "Ali McGraw," sniffles Leslie (Anne Tremko). "Wow, I didn't even know she was sick," says Zack.
Musical selections from the soundtrack
- Concerto No. 3 in D Major for harpsichord, third movement - by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Sonata In F Major for flute and harpsichord, first movement - by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "Joy To The World" - by Georg Friedrich Händel and Isaac Watts
- "A Fair Rose Is Blooming" (Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen) - by Michael Praetorius
- "Love Story" - by Francis Lai, Performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra
- "Snow Frolic" - by Francis Lai, Performed by Francis Lai & His Orchestra
- "I Love You, Phil" - by Francis Lai
- "The Christmas Tree" - (traditional)
- "Search for Jenny" - by Francis Lai
- "Bozo Barrett" - by Francis Lai
- "Long Walk Home" - by Francis Lai
- "Skating in Central Park" - by John Lewis
References
- Vincent Canby. "Perfection and a 'Love Story.'" The New York Times. December 18, 1970. 44.
External links
- [Film Rewind: Revisiting Love Story] (fan summary)
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