Love Story – 1970
Director
Arthur Hiller

Writer
Erich Segal

Cast
Ali MacGraw
Ryan O’Neal
John Marley

Review by Wayne Malin

Could have been great,

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!