Danielle Solzman
Love Story, one of the best films of all time, gets a newly restored Blu-ray in honor of the film’s 50th anniversary in December 2020.
This new Blu-ray is issued through the Paramount Presents line and is restored from a 4K transfer. The film was a box office hit! Produced on a $2.2 million budget, the film took in $136.4 million at the box office. After Erich Segal wrote the screenplay, Paramount asked him to write a novelization of the film. This, too, became a bestseller. As a result of damages while filming on location at Harvard, the university became stricter in what would be allowed to shoot on campus.
Ryan O’Neal wasn’t the first choice to play Oliver. It helped that Segal worked with him previously. In another universe, Love Story could star Beau Bridges, Michael York, or Jon Voight. Would it be the same film and break bank at the box office? Maybe, maybe not. Eight years after the film’s release, Ryan O’Neil would reprise his role as Oliver in Oliver’s Story, which co-starred Candice Bergen.
A little known fact about the film is that Tommy Lee Jones also made his film debut.
The American Film Institute honored the film with the 9th slot in their 2002 ceremony, 100 Years…100 Passions.
The film would also earned seven Oscar nominations ahead of the April 15, 1971 Academy Awards ceremony, winning only for Best Score:
- Best Picture
- Director
- Actor
- Actress
- Supporting Actor
- Original Screenplay
- Score
Synopsis
Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw both received Oscar nominations for their starring roles in the timeless, unmatched tale from the heart. Harvard students Oliver (O’Neal) and Jenny (MacGraw) come from opposite backgrounds, but they share a chemistry they cannot deny—and a love they can’t ignore. Despite Oliver’s wealthy father threatening to disown him, the young couple marries and begins to build their new life together. But fate has other plans, and soon Oliver and Jenny face a crisis only the strongest of loves can endure.
Bonus Features
- Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on Love Story (HD)
- TCM Introduction by Ben Mankiewicz (HD)
- Commentary by Director Arthur Hiller
- Love Story: A Classic Remembered
- Theatrical Trailer (HD)
DIRECTOR: Arthur Hiller
SCREENWRITER: Erich Segal
CAST: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal, John Marley, and Ray Milland
