Love Story (1970 film)

Love Story is a 1970 American romantic drama film directed by Arthur Hiller, adapted by Erich Segal from his 1970 novel. It stars Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal, and features John Marley, Ray Milland and Tommy Lee Jones in his film debut. The film is about a relationship between two students at Harvard College - the upper-class Oliver Barrett IV (O'Neal) and the working-class Jenny Cavilleri (MacGraw) - who is eventually affected by tragedy.

The film was released by Paramount Pictures on December 16, 1970. It was a major critical and commercial success, and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for O'Neal), and Best Actress (for MacGraw). The film's theme song, "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story", was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Love Story proved a pop culture sensation of the 1970s, spawning several imitations, parodies, and homages, and is credited with having re-energized the cinematic melodrama in Hollywood. A sequel film, Oliver's Story, followed in 1978. The film is considered one of the most romantic by the American Film Institute (No. 9 on the list) and is one of the highest-grossing films of all time adjusted for inflation.