Around Christmas, I ordered several old movies that I had not seen in years, and recently I got around to seeing one of them - "Love Story." I am not going to let any gripers ruin my enjoyment of this precious movie - yes, you can say plenty of things about it that are not perfect, but I really don't care about any of that. It is a great movie and it's a classic in my book. For starters, Erich Segal wrote this simple but wonderful book about two college students who fall in love. The title alone is brilliant in its simplicity. It was written in the late 1960's and not long after that, it was made into the movie in 1970. I completely and utterly admire anyone who can write a good book about a simple but powerful story. What is a good book? It's one that engages you and holds your attention, whether or not it officially qualifies as "great literature." The movie has Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw - both of whom are fantastic in this movie. I'd have to name Ryan O'Neal as one under-rated actor after seeing this film. Both of them are so perfect for their parts that it makes the movie very memorable. (There's a bit part by Tommy Lee Jones as one of the college dorm residents and the key role of Ray Milland as the dad, who happens to be the fantastic star of another of the greatest movies of all time, "Dial M For Murder," in his younger years.) If you like love stories, you might really love this movie. It's so refreshing to see a movie that comes from another time when things were a little different, but not that different. The best part about this movie is - the love story! The character of Jenny, a poor girl going to college on a scholarship, immediately recognizes Oliver as a "preppie" (rich boy who went to prep school) and wants to bring him down to size - plus she is attracted to him and instinctively knows that the last thing she should do is fawn all over him. That would not be her style. She was raised by her widowed dad, a baker, and has plenty of confidence. Their relationship begins with a combination of banter, competition, and refusal to admit that they're attracted to each other, yet admitting it at the same time. When they finally make that emotional commitment, their relationship becomes the unabashed focal point of their lives. I probably took longer to explain all that than much of this takes to occur in the actual movie, but it's still great. Ali MacGraw made this movie many years ago, and has had an interesting life. One thing I have to note about her is that she never, never became a frump. She looks at least twenty years younger than her age. I admire women who maintain their appearance throughout their lives, because for one thing, it shows a consistency that is important to people. When a beautiful woman lets herself go, it makes people sad to see that beauty change or get wasted! It really does. It's really a crime to let our best years get wasted by letting our looks go to pot. It really does not take that much effort to look good - getting frumpy is a sign of negative things in our lives like depression and lack of self confidence. I've received a couple of outraged letters from women who got royally ticked off at me for talking about women getting frumpy. One woman said that she was busy raising kids, etc., etc. I told my friend, the writer Terry MacDonald about that, and she commented, "As if being a mom is an excuse to let yourself go!" Why waste time on excuses when we can instead head for the powder room and put on some more mascara, huh? I can certainly testify to the fact that five short minutes of makeup well applied makes a huge difference in one's appearance AND outlook AND confidence. No time to exercise? Not true - try setting a timer for ten minutes, and jogging in place while you're watching the TV. Do that at least three times per day and notice how your weight drops off and stays off. It's free, it's painless, and it's darned good for your heart, too. Think of a woman you know in your own life who is and has always been very good looking. She's been consistent and everyone counts on the fact that she is beautiful because she always has been. Now imagine if she gained sixty pounds and started shuffling around with her head down. Or just imagine if she gained a mere thirty pounds and lost that special "together" quality that she now has? That's an eye-opening exercise in how the beauty of another person affects us - and how we count on their consistency in appearance and would be somehow disappointed if they let themselves go. Were you once a knockout and now you're sporting extra pounds and a depressed mood? Hey, life is very short. Time to do something about it. If you've been inconsistent, it's never too late to do a self-makeover. People have a short memory when you do improve your appearance - they will rapidly adjust to your best look. Here is to being the absolute best we can be, and to giving ourselves reasonable time-goals in which to make those steps. Where do you want to be one year from now? Where did you think you'd be by now? Are we there yet? Read the first chapter of "Love Story" here. |
