Love Story

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This article is about the 1970 film directed by Arthur Hiller. For the Hindi film with the same title directed by Zoya Akhtar, see Love Story (2007 film).

Love Story
original movie poster
Directed by	Arthur Hiller
Produced by	Howard G. Minsky
Written by	Erich Segal
Starring	Ali MacGraw Ryan O'Neal
Music by	Francis Lai
Cinematography	Richard C. Kratina
Editing by	Robert C. Jones
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	December 16, 1970
Running time	99 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Love Story is a 1970 romance motion picture drama based on the 1970 best-seller, written by Erich Segal, and 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 also was written by Segal.

Contents 1 Primary cast 2 Plot 3 Awards and nominations 4 Quotations 5 Musical selections from the soundtrack 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Primary cast

• Ali MacGraw: Jennifer Cavilleri
• 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

[edit] 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 working-class, 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. Instead of telling his father what the money is truly for, Oliver leads him believe that he needs it because he has had an affair which led to a pregnancy.

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. It isn't until after Jennifer dies that Mr. Barret realizes that she was ill and that the money was for her. When Oliver runs into his father walking outside of the hospital he tells him that Jennifer has died. Mr. Barret genuinely tells his son that he is sorry. Oliver replies, with tears in his eyes that "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

[edit] 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

Award nominations:

• 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

[edit] 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."

[edit] 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

[edit] References

• Vincent Canby. "Perfection and a 'Love Story.'" The New York Times. December 18, 1970. 44.

[edit] External links

• Love Story at the Internet Movie Database
• Film Rewind: Revisiting Love Story (fan summary)