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Love Story
1970 100 min United States of America PG 6+
★7.8
Romance, Drama
Director: Arthur Hiller
🎭 Based on
«Love Story»
byErich Segal
Trailers
Description
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.
Budget:
$2.2M
US Gross:
$106.55M
Worldwide:
$136.4M
Starring
Ali MacGraw
Actor
Ryan O'Neal
Actor
John Marley
Actor
Awards
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Director
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Original Score
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Original Score
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Original Score
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Screenplay
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Actress (Drama)
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Actor (Drama)
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Adapted Screenplay (Unpublished Material or True Facts)
Key opinion
Love Story is a quintessential 1970s melodrama that remains a polarizing cultural touchstone. While many viewers cherish its sincere, tear-jerking narrative and iconic musical score, others criticize it for being overly simplistic, cliché-ridden, and emotionally manipulative.
| Score | Francis Lai’s Academy Award-winning score is widely recognized as a beautiful, evocative masterpiece that elevates the film's emotional atmosphere. | |
| Ending | The tragic, sorrowful ending effectively functions as a potent emotional catalyst, moving many audience members to tears despite its abrupt nature. | |
| Acting | Performances from Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw are viewed by some as earnest and soulful, while others dismiss them as immature, artificial, or lacking in depth. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is praised by some for its realistic, witty dialogue and avoidance of excessive sentimentality, while others find the plot trajectory to be a tired, primitive, or underdeveloped trope. | |
| Pacing | The narrative's pacing divides viewers; some find the lean, focused storytelling refreshing, while others complain that it rushes key developmental milestones like the marriage and the eventual tragedy. |