Love Story (1970) User Reviews

Effectively simple and straightforward tearjerker

[robb_772 · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

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.

It's widely regarded as the ultimate romantic movie for a good reason.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 22 November 2006]

To be honest I was quite surprised as the low rating the movie gets her, since I've always been under the assumption that this movie is widely regarded to be the best and ultimate romantic movie ever made.

The movie has all the ingredients a romantic movie needs, even the most formulaic ones. Two totally different boy and girl from different social levels fall in love with each other and of course not everyone in the environment (mainly the parents of course) are happy with this. Their love life has a couple of ups and downs in which they have to weight some choices for themselves against choices for their love together. Further more the movie also features an unavoidable dramatic twist in which one of the characters get seriously sick (Don't worry, this is not really a spoiler since this is mentioned right in the beginning of the movie already). In other words this movie has all of the formulaic sappy sounding ingredients to make this a sappy formulaic romantic movie. Yet "Love Story" is not. Why? It's hard to put your finger on why "Love Story" is so much more and so much better than your average love story but I guess that you can still answer this question, once you start analyzing the movie. Although the story and all of its elements are sappy and formulaic the movie itself doesn't try to be sappy or dramatic. The movie doesn't attempt to make you cry, by putting in over-the-top dramatic filmed moments with dramatic loud music and all that sort of stuff. Instead the movie chooses to take a realistic approach, no real surprise, considering that this is a '70's movie. The decade in which the most realistic (and best) movies were made. It has as a result that the movie never feels forced or overdone. It even makes the most formulaic and predictable elements of the movie work out, as strange and unbelievable as it might sound. You also have to keep in mind that at the time it was released, this movie was not formulaic at all. It was a fresh approach on the genre and inspired many later movies. In a way "Love Story" was bare raising and set the standards for many later romantic movies. The movie was nominated for 7 Oscar (of which it won 1 in the end) not just for no reason.

The movie is obviously made on a low budget but it makes the end result look all the more creative. It's effectively directed by Arthur Hiller, who later went on directing lame comedies. A real waste of talent. The musical score by Francis Lai is a classic and the simple effective cinematography from Richard C. Kratina makes the movie feel all the more realistic.

The movie made Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal big stars for the moment and they were both even nominated for an Oscar. To be frank I didn't even always liked their characters in the movie and I've never been to fond of Ryan O'Neal as an actor. In that regard I liked the supporting cast way better with John Marley, Ray Milland and Tommy Lee Jones in his very first (and very small) screen appearance. He looked so amazingly young, that he was hard to recognize.

Although the movie takes some formulaic and obvious dramatic turns, the movie still always remain perfectly watchable, just not always emotionally involving enough. So I'm not to sure about it if this is a movie that can (still) make people cry. Nevertheless the movie still has its powerful moments, mostly due to the realism of it all. Everybody should be able to recognize the situations- and put themselves in the place of the characters of the movie. Everybody have been through similar events in their life at one point, in one way or another.

Now days lots of people actually complain about the tag-line and famous quote from the movie; 'Love means never having to say you're sorry'. People find this a stupid and illogical line. To those people I would like to say; Wait until you've truly falling in love once. If you've REALLY been in love, you'll understand what is the meaning of that line. Love is about mutual respect and also accepting each others less pleasantries and still love each other for it. This also means never having to apologies to each other. Actually when I was in love once and the girl felt the same way about me (Yes amazing, I know. It seems like ages ago now), whenever one of us said 'sorry' for something the other always said; 'You never have to apologize for anything to me'. None of us had ever seen the movie or heard of its famous line before, so I think that really says something about the line and the truth that is in it.

It in my opinion certainly is one the best and perhaps most influential romantic movie ever made. A must-see that deserves more objective respect and higher rating on here.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

"Some day you're going to have to come up with the courage to admit you care"

[evening1 · 7/10 · 28 April 2020]

What can you say about a 50-year-old movie that made people cry?

It still can. Combine perfect casting, a man and a woman who were born to be together, and a glittering New York City backdrop, and you've got a film that holds up pretty darn well after half a century.

A very girlish-looking Ali McGraw was 31 when she played Radcliffe student Jenny from working-class Cranston, RI, who immediately hits it off with wealthy Harvard student Oliver, played by 29-year-old Ryan O'Neal. Despite their ages, they are believable as lovers who are inseparable almost from the moment they meet. The movie conjures relationship magic as the two find they enjoy nothing so much as just plain being together -- engaging in snappy repartee, tackling each other in the snow, or canoodling on the couch, each absorbed in a book.

Thickening the plot is a preoccupation with fathers. There is snooty, ice-king Oliver Barrett III (Ray Milland) -- that's "sir" to his son -- who wants to live Oliver's life for him ("You'll be the first Barrett on the Supreme Court"). We find his polar opposite in Jenny's widowed dad, Phil (John Marley), who wants whatever will make Jenny happy. The contrasts may be black-and-white, but they make for absorbing viewing. We like that Jenny and Oliver live according to their scruples, even if they eat peanut-butter sandwiches and live in a simple abode.

Along the way we see quaint signs of a New York that's no more. Jenny rides home on a bike and just leans it against a tree, no lock required. The couple has a picture of the LOVE sculpture on their wall (which had been introduced five years earlier on a card advertising the Museum of Modern Art). At one point, Ollie passes a sign plate for Best & Co., the upscale department store that was liquidated the year this movie was released.

I remember audible sobs in the Pittsburgh theater where I saw this film as a 14-year-old. She's older now, but no less moved.

A Witty Tragic Love Story

[Chrysanthepop · 3 October 2008]

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.

A beautiful and emotional romance

[rebeljenn · 7/10 · 19 January 2006]

'Love Story' is not your typical romance film, although it is a story about a boy and girl from different backgrounds who fall in love. Jenny is an intellectual music major with a passion to travel, and Oliver's parents are well-to-do, and he enjoys sports. It seems like an unlikely match, but the two of them hit it off and travel through the perils of relationships. It is a touching story, and the direction and coordination of some of the scenes is amazing. (Particularly the scene with Oliver sitting outside in the playing field and narrating the story is a classic moment in this film, and it is possibly one of the most memorable scenes in film history.) If you have never seen this film, you should. Anyone who has ever been in a relationship can relate to it, but if you are a sensitive person and cry in nearly every film you have ever been to, keep a full box of tissues handy.

Easy to understand why this had the country lined up around the block...

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 1 April 2002]

Everyone dreams of that love of a lifetime, which is perhaps why this film was so phenomenally successful. It features a young couple in love--in unabashed love--without a hint of that then-trendy lust or flaky passion. These college kids are not beatniks or rebels; they have family members who disapprove, but they forge ahead with their marriage plans while not seeming too reckless. At least not to us. We see that they have the kind of desire for each other that is so well-meaning it's practically G-rated (only some of Ali MacGraw's tart language keeps the film from being so). It's a moving film, not particularly warm or fuzzy (and by that, I don't just refer to the chilly Eastern locales). The couple face cynicism and tragedy, and director Arthur Hiller (doing his only truly great work behind the camera) is wise not to shift too much away from these two. The audience ends up hanging onto their every word in preparation for what's on the way. No wonder that final line of dialogue ("Love means...") is so legendary: the entire picture rests on it. *** from ****

"Love knows not its own depth, until the hour of separation."

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 10/10 · 26 March 2000]

The sentimentality of "Love Story" ("What can you say about a 25-year-old girl who died?") is a hearty welcome retreat to the past... There is nothing to spoil love, trust, confidence or even the events... Jenny seems to die... She just escapes in loveliness...

Jenny (Ali MacGraw) is half of a pretty young married students from a working class background... And Oliver (Ryan O'Neal) is from a very wealthy family... Both have the predictable problems with disapproving parents... Both struggle along through hard times, until Oliver obtains a fine job with his own merit... When Jenny tries to get pregnant, the doctor finds out that she has an incurable disease, and has a very short time to live...

Ryan O'Neal plays well the intense sensitive rebel, giving a heart-breaking performance as the ultra-rich man's son who works to pay his way through law school when his father won't...

Ali MacGraw is good and touching in her portrait of Jenny, the dying heroine, the poor baker's daughter studying classical music at Radcliffe, the smart young girl who gives up her plans to study in Europe in order to marry Oliver... She never missed a 'shred of her beauty' in her role...

Ray Milland is the 60-year-old Oliver Barrett III... He is a strong, articulate, civilized millionaire from Boston who refuses to support his son in marrying a girl of such low social stature... He commands him instead to finish law school...

John Harley is Phil, the father of Jenny... For him, "Father's love is something to cherish and respect."

There is three sequences that I liked the most in the film:

• Jenny and Oliver wonderful kissing scene... From this point on, both were entirely engrossed with each other, ready to risk anything for love...

• Oliver's long day search looking for Jenny, until he sees her sitting, outside, on a stair... She forgot her keys... Jenny is comforted by Oliver who tries to apologize for his continual disputes... Jenny, all shaken, and with tears in her eyes and with an emotional voice stops him with words of deep affection: "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

• Oliver, sitting alone and lost to the world, uncertain and perplexed, unable to understand Jenny's tragic fate... If Jenny could spend an hour in his mind, a minute in his heart, a second in his soul to discover what he really feels loving her... Why Jenny has to die so young? Why destiny is against us sometimes, smashing all our hopes and happiness? Why we feel so impotent in front of the will of God? Why can't we understand that we are 'blessed with Life,' and this is our great gift, our true treasure! Barrett's millions could never save Jenny!

The Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran said once: "Love knows not its own depth, until the hour of separation." And let me say that 'nothing is more beautiful than the love that has weathered the storms of Life.' They say: Time mends a broken heart and true love never ends... But if true love never ended then time wouldn't have to mend... So "Love Story" was followed by "Oliver's Story".

Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw are splendid and beautifully matched... Arthur Hill's sincere direction commend the picture to a wide audience eager to a flood of tears...

"Love Story" won 7 Academy Award nominations and Frances Lai - touching music - mixed by Bach, Mozart and Handel, won an Oscar, enriching the beauty of the film...

An intense, tough-looking leading actor is seen: Tommy Lee Jones in his film debut...

Love means never having to say you're sorry?

[jrs-8 · 6/10 · 20 July 2002]

What a bunch of baloney!! And it was a tagline that became as famous as the movie itself.

"Love Story" is a simple tale of young love defeated by death. It's not deep and the characters are not very appealing for a movie that depends on us loving them enough to hurt when they do. Ryan O'Neal's character is a spoiled, sniveling rich boy who falls in love with the opinionated, bitchy Ali MacGraw.

I think the big problem with the film is that MacGraw's character is so abrasive it's difficult to muster up enough sympathy for the ladder part of the film when she lays dying in a hospital. Even as she lays dying she is still strong enough to spout her opinions and swear like a truck driver (well, like a truck driver in a 1970 PG rated movie).

O'Neal comes off far better and we do have sympathy for him. It also helps that the beautiful musical score is played over every touching scene to help underscore our emotions.

Watching "Love Story" today it is easy to see why it was a blockbuster back then. All the ingredients were there. It will move you. For some hard nosed viewers it may just move you on to the next channel.

Best kind of tearjerker

[nikzfox · 10/10 · 23 January 2005]

I wasn't even alive when this came out. I'd never even really heard of MacGraw nor O'Neal before (though they both looked vaguely familiar). The "Love Story" theme, I was definitely aware of though.

I saw it for the first time in 2002, and bawled like hell. I saw it for the second time a few weeks ago (2005) and cried like a baby again. I instantly needed to get my DVD copy. My parents always say that they don't do movies (or music, for that matter) like they used to, and on this occasion, I had to agree.

The movie's premise is simple: the typical boy meets girl love story, with the cliché rich boy, poor girl angle. But I think its simplicity is part of what's so great about it. I fell in love with Oliver and Jenny (and as corny as it may sound, I think their undying love for each other is ultimately what we're all searching for), and their tragedy became my devastation as well. It's generally your typical soppy chick flick (with the exception that the pair don't "live happily ever after"), but probably the best one of its kind. A story like this has become so banal today, 35 or so years later, but it was surely one of the first of its kind. It hits all the right emotional buttons, and although I'm not one to usually cry over films, this one certainly had me in tears.

The two very attractive leads make a cute couple, and have good chemistry. O'Neal and MacGraw both turn in very solid performances, and I quite enjoyed the foul-mouthed MacGraw. Good writing, solid acting, great music (I could listen to the musical score all day), beautiful scenes.

I love "Love Story". Hee! 10 out of 10 from me.

One of the dumbest movie lines ever

[steiner-sam · 6/10 · 4 June 2021]

I am a romantic and was in a sad mood anyway, so thought why not go for the pathos of this movie based on the Erich Segal novel.

Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal), the son of Oliver Barrett III (Ray Milland), is a Harvard student descended from a (very) upper-class family. He meets and falls in love with Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), daughter of an Italian baker (John Marley), studying music at Radcliffe. Their differences naturally evolve into romance. When Jenny reports her plans to study in Paris for a year, Oliver proposes and she accepts, ending those plans. He introduces her to his parents for the first time, and they are dismissive of her lower-class background. Indeed Oliver III says he'll not support Oliver IV in law school if he marries Jenny.

They do marry, get through law school, and move to New York City to an entry-level job at a big law firm. Jenny taught at a private school to get Oliver through school, but now they're focused on getting pregnant. In this process, Jenny is discovered to have an intense case of leukemia with a short time left to live. Oliver finally asks his father for money but won't tell him why, letting the father believe it was to deal with a girl that he "got in trouble." Jenny dies at the end at age 25, leaving Oliver to reflect on the meaning of it all.

The repartee between Jenny and Oliver throughout the film is engaging; she is generally funny and insightful and knows what Oliver is thinking before he does. However, she does have a stupid saying that has long been associated with this film--"Love means never having to say you're sorry." It seems to be meant seriously but is one of the dumbest movie lines ever.

Another problem is that the doctors initially want to keep the diagnosis secret from Jenny for some unknown reason since she needs to begin treatment within weeks. This has Oliver trying to act "normal" while thinking Jenny doesn't really know what is happening to her body. It turns out she does, but the concept is outlandish to me and leads to some cringe-worthy scenes.

However, "Love Story" does provide a good emotional bath if that's what you're looking for.

"Where do I begin?" It bites!

[DashingD · 1/10 · 11 April 1999]

I love a good sappy love story (and I'm a guy) but when I rented "Love Story" I prayed for the end to come as quickly and painlessly as possible and just the opposite for Ali McGraw's character.

Ali McGraw as Jenny alienated and irritated the heck out of me within the first 15 minutes. When we learn that she has been diagnosed with a life threatening illness I couldn't help but wonder if her death would be such a terrible loss for poor Oliver or if anyone watching this film would even care. If she didn't die her grating personality would probably have pushed Oliver over the edge and eventually landed them in divorce court.

People love this movie but it's one of the worst of the 70's.

An unforgettable tragic romance.

[patriciogl10 · 10/10 · 6 December 2018]

I rarely give 10s on a first view, but I have to say that I absolutely loved this film. I loved the story, and the fact that it really is just a simple love story, nothing more to it. That somehow made me appreciate it even more. I'm utterly fascinated with the 70s aesthetic, it has an unique charm that drawns you to it. The acting is fantastic, but for me, it's Ali McGraw who steals the movie. She unveils a magnificent charisma and a real strong screen presence that it was intoxicating for me. You can easily see how and why Ryan O'Neal's character falls in love with her. I mean, who wouldn't?

The score is a classic. I knew it, it was familiar to me even without having seen the movie. It is so moving that I found myself shedding a couple of tears everytime it was on.

Regarding the story, it is so inspiring to see how they decide to put their love first above all things. Both of their characters struggle with their own backgrounds and upbringings, and their love and devotion for one another it becomes even stronger when tragedy strikes.

The script while not perfect, goes rather well with the simplicity of the story, and that iconic line, while not entirely true, it's a perfect description of the love and passion they felt for each other. I guess you could say that it was applicable to them, in their specific context.

I'm sorry for having to say I never loved this

[johno-21 · 6/10 · 13 March 2006]

I somehow saw this in the theater during it's initial release as it must have been the allure of Ali McGraw and I've seen it probably three times since over the years to make sure I didn't miss something about this film but I don't think I did. How could this small film have been nominated for eight Academy Awards? It was nominated for most of the biggest awards in Best Picture, Best Director for Arthur Hiller, Best Actor in Ryan O'Neal, Best Actress for Ali McGraw, Best Supporting Actor for John Marley and Best Screenplay for author Eric Segal as well as Best Score and Best song for Francis Lai. Well, Lai was a deserved nomination and in fact won those two Oscars but the rest of the nominations were a cinematic joke. The novella story by Segal never had enough material to be a full length feature film. He could have at least added a mindless car chase or a flying saucer scene to the screenplay to give the film some depth. This was McGraw's only third film and her follow up role in The Getaway with husband Steve McQueen was a far better performance. After that her career stalled and she never made of film of note again. Ryan O'Neal had made a couple of minor films before and was most noted for his television roles and he like McGraw turned in a stiff, wooden performance here and there was no on screen chemistry between them. John Marley and Ray Milland were good in supporting roles. Director Arthur Hiller had made the leap from television to feature films with a string of mediocre movies until moderate success with the Out of Towners before Love Story and after would see more moderate success in comedies in The Hospital, The In-Laws and Silver Streak but any success he ever had were in comedies. This as a serious film tries to be so serious it goes overboard. I would give this a 6.0 for good music and set direction and for sentimental reasons for once having had a teen aged crush on Ali McGraw.

ICK ! ! !

[PatrickH-2 · 1/10 · 3 April 1999]

Surely the worst film ever Oscar-nominated for Best Picture, and with serious claims to being one of the worst films ever put on celluloid. This treacly, contrived "romance" about a snobby rich boy who falls in love with a poor girl (two awful performances, by the way) jerks tears only from the softest, dullest moviegoers. I'm not a disparager of romance flicks in general; but this is an all-around atrocious film.

Love like it ought to be

[emst · 15 October 1999]

Superb acting, wonderful stars, a great story, very funny jokes and very real tears. If you're looking for a romantic yet soppy movie, this is the the best deal. Love Story is the finest in it's kind.

Could have been great

[preppy-3 · 6/10 · 14 February 2003]

Few people seem to remember how big this movie was when it came out 1970. It was HUGE--a true blockbuster. Lines formed around the block and people kept seeing it again and again and again. Yet today it's virtually forgotten. Seeing it now over 30 years later, it's easy to see why.

The story is simple: Boy (Ryan O'Neal) meets girl (Ali McGraw), boy gets girl, girl dies of an unnamed terminal disease--the end. The movie has a lot of good things about it: the absolutely beautiful views of Harvard University and Harvard Square in the winter; O'Neal and McGraw are both gorgeous; the theme music (a deserved Oscar-winner) is haunting and truly beautiful; seeing Tommy Lee Jones in his first movie is fun; old pros Ray Milland and John Marley are having a great time (and give the only good performances) and seeing what Cambridge looked like in the early 70s (it was working class back then--it's now wall to wall condos).

Unfortunately there are bad things which greatly outweigh the good. The bad: O'Neal can't act and McGraw is truly abominable--her character is very foul-mouthed and her acting is wooden; the dialogue is on the level of an Archie comic book (with swearing); that line "Love means never having to say you're sorry" is the STUPIDEST line I've ever heard, and two characters you really could care less about. I'm a sucker for sappy movies like this, but I was dry-eyed when McGraw died at the end. All I could think was, "Good! Maybe she'll stop swearing now!" But what really bothered me is these two characters had no personality or attraction to each other. I spent the whole movie wondering why they were together. Also the dialogue is pretty horrendous.

A better script and actors would have helped. I'm only giving it a 6 for the music and the scenery and one exchange--"Oliver, you're driving like a maniac!" "It's Boston--I'm supposed to drive like a maniac!" Too true!

The legendary romance film probably loses some ground in the four decades since

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 10 February 2013]

Love Story is easily the forefather of all the romantic films after it. I'm sure if I had seen this in 1970 that it would have felt revolutionary, unique and heartbreaking. Having seen it now, the problem is that countless other films have copied it and paid homage to it. The film absolutely relies on the chemistry of its two stars and you absolutely can't deny that. Both characters are very well written with distinct and vivid personalities that just click so well together. The story behind Love Story is simplistic enough and I was actually surprised at how simple it was. Perhaps it was the years of build up and discussion about the film being a classic that left me a little underwhelmed. But I even found the "major" turning point in the film (I don't want to blatantly give it away in case someone actually doesn't know) but I found it completely anti-climatic. I knew what was going to happen going into it but I didn't find it nearly as heart wrenching as I thought. I've heard people say that Love Story is the greatest romance film ever, and always have a Kleenex but I simply wasn't that moved. Was it good? Yes it was good but I don't quite see the same level of quality everyone raves about.

Ali MacGraw is beautiful, sassy, full of life and perfect in her role. Nowadays I think her role might be considered stereotypical and predictable. You know, she's the wild and vivacious woman that tames the playboy. However, for its time I'm sure she was a unique character and she simply nails it. Almost exactly the same could be said for Ryan O'Neal. He equally is terrific in his role as straight laced Harvard jock Oliver Barrett. They are two very different characters which is really the entire point of this passionate romance. Their chemistry is unmistakable but the beauty of the romance is that its real. It doesn't feel all based on lust or passion but a real romance unfolds between them throughout their life. John Marley and Ray Milland are decent in supporting roles as MacGraw's and O'Neal's fathers respectively. They don't have big parts but they are vital to the story and do well in their roles.

The key to Love Story is the phrase I keep saying, "in its time." I don't know if that means that the film didn't age well but I think it is was far more important for when it was released. It was the end of the sixties, O'Neal and MacGraw were playing young lovers looking to find their way in the world like so many baby boomers. The simplistic and yet vibrant setting of the Harvard campus and Massachusetts is the perfect spot for their budding romance. The film feels incredibly short for the time span that it covers. We are to feel like this is an epic all time romantic love and yet they meet, they banter back and forth, they kiss, they make love, they marry, they work, they go to school...and then the ending. It all happens very quickly. The dialogue between them is terrific and of course the film features that classic line "love means never having to say you're sorry." It was great to see the movie, but I just didn't get the classic vibe that its known for. It is mildly entertaining and fun to watch but I think it lost its effectiveness over the decades. 7/10

Timeless classic!

[Travis_Bickle01 · 9/10 · 2 July 2005]

Very pleasant surprised by this wonderful and brilliantly acted "Love Story". Owkay, the title captures everything of the movie. You instantly know what it is about. But that doesn't bother. This movie is almost twice my age and before I started watching this movie, I wasn't sure if I would like it. After all, I want a movie to be recognizable (at least with a movie about a love story, I'm not talking about movies in general. You can't expect a movie like "The Godfather" to be recognizable) and the acting has to be real. With certain movies from a couple of decennia ago, I sometimes have the feeling the acting isn't real, you're all the time aware of the fact that they are acting, and I think a movie can't have that.

The acting here was amazing. Ali MacGraw as well as Ryan O'Neal were both excellent in their roles as Jenny and Oliver. I thought both fathers were quite good as well, specially Jenny's father Phil, performed by John Marley, who surely deserved his Academy Award Nomination. The music was also terrific in this movie. I think it's, beside the acting, one of the most important points to make this movie timeless.

Unfortunately, this movie became the only success of the leading actors. It could have been the beginning of a brilliant acting career, but "Love Story" became the highlight of their career. To conclude I can only repeat that "Love Story" is a brilliant and timeless romantic classic!

Watch this movie! 9/10

Academy Award Nominations for this!?

[anthropo · 7/10 · 13 July 2002]

I had never seen Love Story nor read the book. However, I vividly remember its popularity when I was a child. Now that I'm "all grown up" I cannot believe that 1970 America got mesmerized by such schmaltz.

For Love Story to garner a Best Picture nomination must mean that 1970 was a weak year for films. Others have panned O'Neal and McGraw's acting. I thought it was adequate... nothing to do backflips over, but adequate...certainly NOT Oscar winning. I've always liked Ryan O'Neal's acting. Someone else should have played Jenny

I can take the romance, the young love, grievous feelings. I've been there but what's most irksome about this film are the gaps in the story line. I had NO IDEA what the hell Jenny was dying from. Out of nowhere Oliver graduates from law school... did we ever see him crack a book. The screenplay is lacking in my opinion. This is certainly not the greatest love story ever told... at least not on film anyway.

Still, it's enjoyable and worth seeing if nothing else than to see Tommy Lee Jones in an early role and also for the beautiful winter scenery.

Rating: 7/10 or **1/2

Not my kind of movie (?)

[HemiPower · 10/10 · 18 September 2006]

I watched this movie by chance a couple of days ago. Me being a typical action-junkie, I would not intentionally have set out to watch this movie. Although I do enjoy the occasional romantic comedy, the word drama and the fact that the movie is 36 years old would have been enough for me to avoid this one. However, during one late night in front of the TV zapping, I stumbled over the beginning of this movie and got hooked.

I loved the lead characters and above all found the dialogue brilliant. I am not very good at analyzing actor performances and other aspects of the movie but judging from the Academy Award and nominations and the 709 other people that has given this movie a 10/10 rating I would guess that I am not the only one to like the movie.

Finally, I would not have lost any sleep if they had left out the part about "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

Nice Feel-good/Break-your-heart movie.

Love means never having to say you're sorry?... Pfft.... ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 6/10 · 12 August 2006]

I just always laughed at that line, because we all know the truth now. "Honey, I'm sorry, I wrecked the car". "Sweetie, I'm sorry, I want to go out with the guys tonight". "Baby, I'm sorry, I found someone better than you, your brother." OK, that's a little extreme. Well, I had heard so much about "Love Story", I just had to see this movie. I know that it was popular back in the day and not to mention it still has some impact today. Now a days, we have "The Notebook".

I thought that actually over all, it was a pretty decent flick. Although, I really didn't feel for Ali McGraw, I'm sorry, just she was such a brat. Not to mention, that Ryan O'neil, you were kinda still mad at him, because I think he still got together with Ali for the fact that he wanted to rebel against his parents.

It still was an effective movie over all and both Ali and Ryan did a great job of acting. I could see where they got nominated for their roles. They had great chemistry and made the movie work. Still, this was kind of a over rated movie.

6/10

Pretty Lame

[qormi · 1/10 · 26 December 2015]

I remember when this movie came out when I was in high school in 1970. It was wildly popular. The theme from Love Story played on the radio 24/7. Author Eric Seagal appeared on all TV talk shows all the time, as did Ryan O'Neil and Ally McGraw. Every teenage girl in America copied Ally McGraw's hairdo:long, straight, and parted in the middle. Some blonde girls even dyed their hair brown. Teenage boys carried around the Love Story paperback in school and got all the chicks because they thought he was sensitive. But the truth is, this was an awful movie. The acting was bad and so was the script. Scene after scene was so melodramatic...poor Oliver working in a Christmas tree lot...oh, the indignity! Big deal..like a strong 24 year old man can't carry a Christmas tree to a lady's car? And when the doctor broke the news to Oliver...so unintentionally funny...she has no symptoms at all and he announces she will die soon because they took three blood tests and found...what? Doctors don't announce a patient will die unless all extended treatment is exhausted. He didn't even begin treatment or tell Oliver what was killing her. Later on, they mentioned white blood cells and a lack of platelets, but even a veterinarian would treat your dog before giving up on it. Then, she seemed her usual bright eyed and bushy tailed self n her deathbed before she just croaked. Even if she had lived, I don't see how this marriage could have survived more than a few years.Oliver was passive, and Jenny was aggressive, rude, and teased him constantly while saying "goddamn" to punctuate everything. Best comedy of 1970.

95% the story of my life

[lioricsilver · 10/10 · 9 June 2020]

I too got married at the age of 21 and my father asked for exact same request to let our love stand the test of time. My wife died from a an auto immune disease to the red blood cells. She died at the age of 23. And 15 years later I hear Raymond from Everybody Loves Raymond playing this beautiful tune, theme from love story and I just had to watch it. Just think of my surprise when I see my life story playing right in front of me. Though this film has several plot holes like the disease that Jenny got or why she got it, it's a great movie and in my case it's a sentimental one. Watching this film was both painful and joyous to me like both of it sandwiched together.

Overwrought, but a real weepie at the end

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 20 April 2010]

I will admit this is not a movie for everyone, but for me at face value I liked the movie. Yes, some of it is slow, some scenes are overwrought and some of the characters aren't as well developed as they could have been. That said, it is nicely filmed, with pleasant cinematography, and Francis Lai's score is memorable. The song may grate on people's nerves, but even to this day it is one of those songs that has stayed with me for like forever, due to its hypnotic and haunting melody. The story is a very heady and simple mixture of true love and life-threatening illness, and I think it is quite effective, and the dialogue is bittersweet and touching. The ending is a real weepie, and requires at least 5 tissues. The acting is good, with Ali McGraw tragic and hot as Jenny and Ryan O'Neil appealing and somewhat sexy as Oliver. As his father, Ray Milland does a good job, he has been better, but he was still good here. Overall, not for everyone, but for those who aren't so cynical, it won't grate like nails on a blackboard as you think. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Generic Title Says All That's Necessary About This Unapologetic and Severely Dated Movie

[EUyeshima · 4/10 · 3 March 2006]

This 1970 hit film has not aged well, but frankly, it was not that good when it was released. Yet, it was a hugely popular success perhaps because the idea of fatalistic young love must have appealed to audiences saturated by constant TV coverage of the Vietnam War. The plot is pure drivel as it concerns Oliver Barrett IV, a privileged Harvard hockey player, who meets and falls in love with Jenny Cavelleri, an antagonistic Vassar music student proud of her working class background. His old-school father naturally disapproves of Jenny, and in a typical act of rebellion, that means the young couple gets married in one of those hippie-era, extemporaneous ceremonies. He lands his dream job in New York, but she gets unexpectedly ill and dies of her terminal disease. There is a veneer of then-contemporary film-making techniques displayed by director Arthur Hiller, but none of that can hide the old-fashioned, cliché-ridden story at its core. The inevitable ending left me particularly unmoved.

Both Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw became stars with this movie as Oliver and Jenny but inexplicably so since neither seems able to convey the depth or complexity required to make their characters compelling. At least the boyish O'Neal is sincere in his weakly defiant approach, but MacGraw is so wooden and smirky in behavior that it's hard to see what Oliver sees in Jenny beyond her sarcastic façade. John Marley (two years before finding the decapitated racehorse in his bed in "The Godfather") does better as Jenny's plainspoken baker father Phil, as does Ray Milland as the seemingly insensitive Barrett paterfamilias. The overly familiar Frances Lai music has almost become parody in itself over the years. The print quality on the DVD is good, though the only extra is a rather effusive commentary track by Hiller. The most interesting bit of trivia is that author Erich Segal (upon whose book this movie is based) conceived Oliver as a mix between two Harvard roommates he knew – Vice President Al Gore and actor Tommy Lee Jones, who happens to have a bit part in the movie as one of Oliver's roommates.