40 Years Ago

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My very first act of film criticism in a public arena was in late '70, or seven or eight years before I started writing. I was sitting shotgun in a car that was cruising past Westport's Fine Arts theatre, and in front of it and wrapping around the building and way down the alley was a line of people waiting to see Love Story. I rolled down the window and yelled, "You effing milquetoasts!"

Some people turned and looked stunned, or hurt even, and I felt a little badly about that. But then I told myself, "Well, somebody has to say it." It was common knowledge, after all, or commonly believed, that anyone who fell for that movie or the pablum behind it was being a total sentimental sap.

"What can you say about 25 year-old girl who died?"

That's the second most famous line from Erich Segal's Love Story, which actually began as a screenplay before being turned into a book as a promotional tie-in for the Arthur Hiller-directed film, which opened in December 1970.

The most famous, of course, is "love means never having to say you're sorry." That line has probably made more people retch than any other in the history of motion pictures.

Thomas Vinciguerra's 8.20 N.Y. Times story about the annual Harvard rite of mocking Love Story is what brought it all back. I always though it a bit odd that the 25 year-old girl who died, a Radcliffe music student from Providence named Jenny Cavalleri, was played by Ali McGraw, who was pushing 32 when the film was made. McGraw is now 72 -- amazing.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 25, 2010 at 12:30 PM

comment #1

Travis Crabtree says ...

You said "effing"?

I do the same thing when I drive past Pinks on LaBrea. "Sure, it's a decent hot dog, but it's still just a FUCKING HOT DOG. And you people are waiting in a line that wraps around the building! Are you people FUCKING RETARDED?! IT'S A FUCKING HOT DOG!!!"

Posted by Travis Crabtree at August 25, 2010 1:22 PM

comment #2

Travis Crabtree says ...

"'Love Story' was Paramount's Christmas gift to the world! You're welcome, world!"
- Robert Evans

Posted by Travis Crabtree at August 25, 2010 1:23 PM

comment #3

Travis Crabtree says ...

(since I'm doing things in threes)

http://www.avclub.com/articles/weekend-box-office-there-is-literally-nothing-you,44428/

This sums up SO much. Funny yet depressing.

Posted by Travis Crabtree at August 25, 2010 1:25 PM

comment #4

Kakihara says ...

I hear it's a rite of passage to MST3K the film at Harvard.

Posted by Kakihara at August 25, 2010 1:28 PM

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

Though I usually think you go a little far with the curmudgeon thing, this is one of those times I wish you'd gone after them with an ax handle.

Posted by Rich S. at August 25, 2010 1:30 PM

comment #6

Kakihara says ...

Of course, I can't really say anything mean about it right now, after having to deal with Satoshi Kon's recent passing.

Posted by Kakihara at August 25, 2010 1:30 PM

comment #7

Spartan Tell says ...

"I love you, Brian Piccolo."

Oh, wait...wrong love story.

Posted by Spartan Tell at August 25, 2010 1:30 PM

comment #8

Mr. Peel says ...

Was every single-screen specialty theater that opened in the 60s-70s named the Fine Arts? I used to go to one back in Westchester, it's long gone now.

Posted by Mr. Peel at August 25, 2010 1:31 PM

comment #9

George Prager says ...

Quick, someone do a mash-up; "Johnny Fontaine does not get that picture!"

Posted by George Prager at August 25, 2010 1:32 PM

comment #10

alan says ...

I think you meant "retch," not "wretch." Just FYI.

Posted by alan at August 25, 2010 1:36 PM

comment #11

JChasse says ...

"Of course, I can't really say anything mean about it right now, after having to deal with Satoshi Kon's recent passing."

Which means that, from now on, when someone dies, we're going to hear from you how they're just copying Kon.

Posted by JChasse at August 25, 2010 1:37 PM

comment #12

Eloi Wrath says ...

DeeZee: "I hear it's a rite of passage to MST3K the film at Harvard."

Yeah, that was kind of the point of the entire post - read it again.

Not one of those snarky Harvard comments made me laugh. Fair enough, make fun of the thing, but at least try to make the comments amusing.

Posted by Eloi Wrath at August 25, 2010 1:40 PM

comment #13

LauraReeling says ...

What's even harder to believe is all it's Oscar nominations, including the big 5 (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay)....

Posted by LauraReeling at August 25, 2010 1:53 PM

comment #14

WranglerBob says ...

Really, Jeff?

You loved Up In The Air and An Education (real Oat Bran movies), walked out of Life During Wartime, and derided the recent New York Film Festival because they showed new Rivette and Denis movies?

That Love Story audience has room for one more.

Posted by WranglerBob at August 25, 2010 2:02 PM

comment #15

Manitoba says ...

I've never forgotten a Canadian tv profile of "Love Story" director Arthur Hiller, a native of Edmonton. who directed live tv drama for CBC televison b efore being lured south by NBC. I gather tough times at Paramount led the studio to give him a piece of the film instead of a high salary. Hiller did not say how much he made as a result but indicated it was very substantial. and left him without any financial worries. It certainly dwarfed what he made directing Playhouse 90, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Route 66. That and the fact he was able to go back and do some additional scenes with his two stars during a sn owstorm, left him with only happy memories of the sometimes much abused film.He would probably get a kick out of Jeff's rolling down the window story.

Posted by Manitoba at August 25, 2010 2:07 PM

comment #16

Terry McCarty says ...

LauraReeling wrote:
What's even harder to believe is all it's Oscar nominations, including the big 5 (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay)....

Essentially, LOVE STORY was the stick used to beat all the counterculture movies of 1970 (including SOLDIER BLUE, GETTING STRAIGHT, THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT, etc.) with.

Posted by Terry McCarty at August 25, 2010 2:09 PM

comment #17

dixiedugan66 says ...

I see that clip and think of what a waste O'Neal is. Acting and otherwise.

Posted by dixiedugan66 at August 25, 2010 2:24 PM

comment #18

George Prager says ...

Gould should've won Best Actor for GETTING STRAIGHT.

Posted by George Prager at August 25, 2010 2:40 PM

comment #19

George Prager says ...

And then you had the spectacle of the 45 year-old McGraw and the 39 year-old Jan Michael-Vincent playing twentysomething lovers in "The Winds of War". That's how the game was played in the 1980s.

Posted by George Prager at August 25, 2010 2:50 PM

comment #20

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Between this, that LexG sock-hop story and the no tipping incident, a night out with Jeff certainly holds the possibility of a Larry David moment or two.

BTW - for those who do the same (cowardly yell condescending put-downs from a moving car), I certainly hope you have never looked at porn much less used in service of your own gratification because there's really no difference between it and those who want emotional release with pablum.

I have never seen LOVE STORY, not even out of curiosity, but doesn't offend me that it exists. It's TRANSFORMERS 2 for chicks.

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at August 25, 2010 3:35 PM

comment #21

Terry McCarty says ...

Deathtongue_groupie wrote:
I have never seen LOVE STORY, not even out of curiosity, but doesn't offend me that it exists.

It at least provided late-career boosts for Ray Milland and John Marley.

Posted by Terry McCarty at August 25, 2010 3:41 PM

comment #22

moviemaniac2002 says ...

I painfully remember the preening, nauseating TV talk show appearances made by Segal in the wake of his"Love Story" success(along with his co-scripting credit on
"Yellow Submarine") Segal's ego, ballooned into dirigible size, finally brought his public career to an end....he had morphed into the one of the most repulsive of 70's would-be
celebrities....and his trajectory was virtually duplicated by Peter Bogdanovich (basking in the glow of "Last Picture Show", "Paper Moon" and "What's Up Doc"....endlessly
pumping up his own massive self-regard on the Tonight Show....until "At Long Last Love" was released to the public...so began his humiliated crawl out of the spotlight.

Posted by moviemaniac2002 at August 25, 2010 3:48 PM

comment #23

bluefugue says ...

"She was the greatest piece of ass I've ever had, and I've had 'em all over the world!"

Posted by bluefugue at August 25, 2010 4:18 PM

comment #24

C.C. Baxter says ...

I can't wait to do this when Biutiful opens.

Posted by C.C. Baxter at August 25, 2010 4:51 PM

comment #25

Kakihara says ...

JC: Hey, thanks for pissing on someone's grave.

Posted by Kakihara at August 25, 2010 5:02 PM

comment #26

LexG says ...

Hey, I kind of like LOVE STORY and own it on DVD. And Arthur Hiller seems like a nice guy, has made more than a few good movies, and has an astonishing head of hair. Used to love when he'd come out on the Oscars, and he'd have that Henry Winkler hair from the '80s where this little, unassuming guy just had this mountain or a mullet, where the head looked twice the size of his body.

And I yell from my car window ALL THE TIME. It's a fucking great release and puts a smile on my face that gets me through the day. You best believe any time I drive past some female jogger in a LITTLE OUTFIT I'm halfway out the window like Paul Le Mat yelling YEP YEP or YOU'RE SO FUCKING HOT! or TAKE IT OFF!

It's awesome.

Posted by LexG at August 25, 2010 5:27 PM

comment #27

Eloi Wrath says ...

DeeZee: I looked at your Twitter today and you're genuinely hugely upset about this anime dude's death. Fair play. While everyone makes fun of your obsession, the level to which you're really quite sad about your idol's death is quite touching really. No snark from me on this one.

Posted by Eloi Wrath at August 25, 2010 6:30 PM

comment #28

J E B says ...

Satoshi Kon was actually a truly great film director, whose movies were aimed at an adult audience, not children. It's a true shame he's passed on. Millennium Actress was an ode to Japanese cinema. Tokyo Godfathers was a modern-day remake of John Ford's Three Godfathers. Perfect Blue is superior to pretty much every other modern-day suspense thriller, plus a biting commentary on celebrity idol culture in Japan. Kon's passing is a genuine tragedy for any real lover of cinema.

Posted by J E B at August 25, 2010 8:41 PM

comment #29

J E B says ...

In other words, he's not just a random "anime dude" and it's a shame that people here are dismissing him as such, probably because it's D.Z. who's in mourning. :/

Posted by J E B at August 25, 2010 8:41 PM

comment #30

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Anyone else give a crap that Michael Been passed over the weekend? The Call was really under appreciated.

Love the fact he was out touring with his son, just running the soundboard or such.

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at August 25, 2010 8:46 PM

comment #31

Kakihara says ...

Eloi: Well, I only met him in fucking person twice, once when he shook my hand. But even if I wasn't a fan of his work, I still don't like cheap-shots at me which diminish what he went through. Just Google his last fucking blog entry in Japanese and tell me that wasn't a real loss for the animation genre and film as a whole.
JC just reminds me of this bitch in high school who bad-mouthed a girl with leukemia.

Posted by Kakihara at August 25, 2010 9:18 PM

comment #32

crazynine says ...

The most famous, of course, is "love means never having to say you're sorry."

Which has always made me laugh, as anyone who has ever been in love knows this line is utter bullshit that doesn't survive the first fight with a chick.

Love means having to say you're sorry every. fucking. day.

BTW, if only Wells had been a Harry Potter fan, I could totally see him pulling the "Snape kills Dumbledore!" stunt past a line of geeks in front of the Barnes & Noble.

Posted by crazynine at August 25, 2010 9:32 PM

comment #33

crazynine says ...

Kakihara? Awww, eff this shit, I have to learn *another* name for Danny?

Really Wells... you run a website, for money, for a living. You can "ban" someone a million times, it matters zilch when they can just create a new account.

Please, invest in an IP blocker already.

Posted by crazynine at August 25, 2010 9:41 PM

comment #34

Monument says ...

I had to play the theme from Love Story when I was in a junior high orchestra. I hated it and just knew the movie had to be bad. I still haven't seen it, don't plan to.

Posted by Monument at August 25, 2010 10:02 PM

comment #35

JChasse says ...

Anyone can come over my house at any time and watch "Perfect Blue", "Paprika" or "Tokyo Godfathers", as they're all on my shelf. Believe it or not, Ripley.

Posted by JChasse at August 26, 2010 4:52 AM

comment #36

J E B says ...

http://www.makikoitoh.com/journal/satoshi-kons-last-words

A translation of his Satoshi Kon's final letter, published on his blog recently.

R.I.P. Mr. Kon. You will be missed.

Posted by J E B at August 26, 2010 5:29 AM

comment #37

dixiedugan66 says ...

Deathtongue - I caught that this weekend about Michael Been, sad news. The Call was one of my favorite under rated bands ever.

Posted by dixiedugan66 at August 26, 2010 6:03 AM

comment #38

TheGK says ...

Thanks J E B for that link.
That's more useful link than DeeZee would ever have posted. The Google translated Japanese was a garbled mess and a waste of time.

Kon Satoshi will be sorely missed. Like his work or not, it was certainly unique.

Posted by TheGK at August 26, 2010 7:44 AM

comment #39

Floyd Thursby says ...

Notice that the Times thinks the screenplay was based on the novel rather than vice versa, as Wells points out. If the Paper of Record makes so many mistakes in its arts coverage, how many is it making in its hard-news stories, which I don't read, not caring for the real world?

The best reason to see Love Story is MacGraw in those short skirts. She is truly lovely. If this is why Lex owns the DVD, my respect for him increaseth.

Posted by Floyd Thursby at August 26, 2010 9:29 AM

comment #40

Kakihara says ...

JC: Good for you. Still doesn't excuse your asshole comment, though.

Posted by Kakihara at August 26, 2010 1:45 PM

comment #41

JChasse says ...

Reading Comprehension Test #1: I wasn't pissing on anyone's grave. The comment was directed to your continuing assertion that "Inception" ripped off "Paprika".

Reading Comprehension Test #2: Weren't you banned?

Posted by JChasse at August 27, 2010 7:08 AM

comment #42

Kakihara says ...

JC: Yes, mocking me by bringing up his disease is totally respectful, which is why JEB also pointed out you being a douche. And even ">EW and WAPO are calling Nolan out on it now. But for the fucking record...And while you're at it, download the Black Swan script so you can see how much it ripped off, er "remade", from Perfect Blue.

Posted by Kakihara at August 27, 2010 6:28 PM

comment #43