Do you want to see ‘Love Story’?

Love Story (1970)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 23
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 10

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 0

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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 33,446

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Movie Info

In director Arthur Hiller's hit tearjerker -- based on Erich Segal's novella -- Ryan O'Neal plays Oliver Barrett IV, a comfortably off Harvard pre-law student who falls in love with Radcliffe music student Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), a freewheeling, delightfully profane product of a blue-collar Italian-American family. Oliver's father (Ray Milland) heartily disapproves of the subsequent marriage and cuts off his son's allowance. Despite financial travails (the pampered Oliver actually has to

PG, 1 hr. 40 min.

Drama, Romance

Directed By: Arthur Hiller

Written By: Erich Segal

In Theaters: Dec 16, 1970 Wide

On DVD: Apr 24, 2001

Paramount Pictures

Cast

Ali MacGraw
Jenny
Ryan O'Neal
Oliver Barrett IV
John Marley
Phil
Ray Milland
Oliver Barrett III
Russell Nype
Dean
Katherine Balfour
Mrs. Oliver Barrett Ill
Robert Modica
Dr. Addison
Syd Walker
Dr. Shapely
Walker Daniels
Ray
Tommy Lee Jones
Hank
John Merensky
Steve
Andrew Duncan
Rev. Blauvelt
Sudie Bond
Milo Boulton
Julie Garfield
Bob O'Connell
Tommy the Doorman

Critic Reviews for Love Story

All Critics (23) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (11) | DVD (6)

Ryan O'Neal gives the character of the neon scion a warmth and vulnerability entirely missing from the bestseller.

December 19, 2007 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

Love Story is an excellent film.

December 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

The only really depressing thing about Love Story is the thought of all of the terrible imitations that will inevitably follow it.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

Hiller earns our emotional response because of the way he's directed the movie.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

With this Love Story Blu-ray, Paramount proves that you can, in fact, polish a turd.

February 7, 2012 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine

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Jaime N. Christley

Slant Magazine

We all know what happens in the end so what's the bleeding point?

January 30, 2012 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine

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Empire Magazine

...drippy, slow, unrealistic, unbelievable, poorly written, and badly acted. I mean, other than that, it's OK. (Blu-ray edition)

January 24, 2012 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

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John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

If you're going to make a serious tearjerker, somebody's got to die. It's in the handbook of romantic platitudes.

January 24, 2012 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

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John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

Mega-hit of the 1970s is a real cringer today.

January 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

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Common Sense Media Editors

Common Sense Media

Guilty pleasure par excellence: How did this poorly-acted schmaltzy romantic melodrama ever get Best Picture Oscar nomination?

September 23, 2008 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

By the time O'Neal gets around to intoning the famous tag line, you'll be so sick of hearing Francis Lai's love theme that you'll want to strangle the projectionist.

December 19, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

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TV Guide's Movie Guide

Cornball classic weeper is at least true to its book basis.

September 10, 2006 Comment

Steve Crum

Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

Dated before it was made.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Although the relationship between Oliver and Jennifer remains one of the best ever produced, [it] lacks excitement and tension that are primary ingredients for any movie.

March 16, 2004 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

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Ryan Cracknell

Apollo Guide

As soapy as it ever was.

November 20, 2003 Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Love Story ultimately drowns in syrup.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4

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Film4

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Audience Reviews for Love Story

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The best romantic drama of the seventies! It's sweet, tragic, dramatic, intense, and very modern too. I loved it and if you like sad romantic dramas you will love it too. I especially loved O'Neal in this movie.

September 5, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

I better stop watching 40-year-old movies. When I see them today, they seem disappointing compared to today's movies, and there are a few of these 1970's era movies I have down-rated from my initial rating. Very simple script. Still you should see it - it made a big impact in the early 70's.

March 9, 2008