Having just watched this movie last night-- after having known about it for probably 40 years --I don't get why it's lampooned so much. I mean, I get the "sappy", uncomplicated sentimentality of Love Story is ripe for parody, but as genplant29 pointed out, the whopping profit ratio vs. production cost of this film is off the charts. And it was nominated for numerous Acadamy Awards and has garnered positive reviews over the years.

I expected it to be a lot worse when I finally watched it due to all the baffling negativity and was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't.

I found the surface story I'd been told over the years was false, and least from my point of view: lower-class struggling college girl shows stuck-up rich college boy what true love really is. Except Ryan O'Neal's Oliver really wasn't that conceited, and Ali MacGraw's Jennifer was more the ball-buster (temporarily) blinded by her own preconceptions.

The following love story goes by fast, and, though there was undoubtedly cheap sentimentality in this film and I sort of already knew what was going to happen at the end, damn if I didn't start crying during the last ten minutes of this film. That recurrent theme song composed for the film by Francis Lai really works you over. Damn if I'm not getting soft in my middle age.

Closing compliments to the director, Arthur Hiller:

It was extremely uncommon back more than 50 years ago when this movie was made, to have the female lead be older than the male lead. It's not even that common, now. While both Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal played characters who were 24 by the end of the film-- and both did, in fact, look like they could pass for that age --MacGraw was in fact 31, while O'Neal was 29. The fact that Hiller even went along with casting MacGraw in the first place in such a role-- considering that she had the audacity to have already hit the age of 30, traditionally a disqualifier for women in Hollywood to get these roles --speaks to Hiller's laudable flexibility on this issue.

But then again, who could resist that cute-as-a-button smile of hers? Her imperfect teeth make her that much more relatable, and again she was an unusual pick for this role. Kudos again to Hiller for casting her.

It's also worth pointing out that this film is a Winter film that actually feels like, well, Winter. A lot of outdoor scenes filmed in actual snow, with trees that had no leaves. And a sky that was gray, dreary, and overcast.

Love Story (1970):

A rewatchable 6 out of 10.

Well, Ms. McGraw's casting might have been because her husband (Robert Evans) was head of Paramount Pictures at the time?

@bratface said:

Well, Ms. McGraw's casting might have been because her husband (Robert Evans) was head of Paramount Pictures at the time?

Did not know that; well (sigh), I suppose that could've very well been the reason. Still some very good chemistry between MacGraw and O'Neal, though, so it worked out.