Love Story is an excellent film. Made for about $2.2 million the Paramount release is generally successful on all artistic levels, propelled by the best-selling Erich Segal novel written from the original screenplay.
Ali MacGraw is a girl of poor origins who has worked her way to high academic status; Ryan O’Neal, restive in his identity, but at the outset just another rich man’s athletic-oriented son at the old family college, develops true manliness from his love for her, through their marriage and the severe challenge of her terminal illness.
John Marley is excellent as MacGraw’s father and Ray Milland is outstanding as O’Neal’s cold father. Both men go way beyond the superficial trappings of their roles and make the characters vital.
It’s O’Neal’s picture by a good margin.
1970: Best Original Score.
Nominations: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Ryan O’Neal), Actress (Ali MacGraw), Supp. Actor (John Marley), Original Story & Screenplay
