Love Story

Genre: romantic drama

With: Ali MacGraw (Jenny Cavilleri), Ryan O’Neal (Oliver Barrett IV), Ray Milland (Oliver Barrett III), Katharine Balfour (Mrs. Barrett), John Marley (Phil Cavilleri), Russell Nype (Dean Thompson)

Director: Arthur Hiller

Screenplay: Erich Segal (from his novel)

Release: 1970

Studio: Love Story Company, Paramount Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

‟Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” 

 

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Story-line: sitting alone in an open-air stadium despite the bitter cold, Oliver reflects on his lost love Jenny. ‟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?”

Pluses: first-grade acting by Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal as two passionate, wisecracking and contrasting characters, excellent support from a charming John Marley and a stern Ray Milland, fluid and alert direction, a respectful and moving screenplay that hinges on social attitudes and family relationships in the crisis-laden early 70s, irreproachable cinematography (by Richard C. Kratina) and Francis Lai’s beautiful music.

Minuses: although nothing extraordinary happens in LOVE STORY and its ending is revealed in the opening sequence, it does its very best to be likeable and maintains interest on the strength of its very charismatic protagonists. In some ways, it equals TERMS OF ENDEARMENT among top-quality tearjerkers.

Comments: sometimes, love begins in rocky circumstances; it nurtures a fragile bond that will hopefully strengthen and last a lifetime. Notwithstanding its Hollywoodish accents, LOVE STORY is exactly what it strives to be, a blissful, painful and enriching episode in the lives of two young people destined to be together in spite of forces that should drive them apart. Arthur Hiller’s work is an undeniable success, having been nominated for 6 Oscars (Actress, Actor, Direction, Writing, Best Picture, Actor in a supporting role) besides its winning musical score. When I saw it decades ago upon its release, I genuinely felt it was better than what I expected and, oddly enough, I felt exactly the same way when I saw it again for this review. LOVE STORY may not have been a trailblazer in movie history but, thanks to its honesty, screenplay and endearing leads, it has conquered hearts and minds the world over.  

 

MBiS 

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