Film Review: Endless Love (1981)

When it came to remakes, Hollywood sank to the new low in 2014 with Endless Love. Previously, remade films were based on classics or popular films, but it was unimaginable that it could happen to a film with six Razzie nominations. Apparently, modest box office and presumed nostalgia among certain older cohorts of Generation X was enough for 2010s studio executives in case of original 1981 version of Endless Love, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

The plot of this romantic drama is based on highly regarded eponymous novel by Scott Spencer, which tried to explore romantic concept of “amor fou” (“crazy love”) in modern cynical world. Protagonist, played by Martin Hewitt, is David Axelrod, 17-year high school student from Chicago who has fallen madly in love with Jade Butterfield (Brooke Shields), 15-year old sister of his friend Keith (played by James Spader). She returns his feelings, and two of them use every opportunity to spend as much time together as possible. Their bliss is at first welcomed by Jade’s parents – bohemian doctor Hugh (played by Don Murray) who likes having young people at his home, and his wife Ann (played by Shirley Knight) who is enthusiastic about David even after seeing him sneak late night into the house to have sex with her daughter. Things change after Jade’s school grades begin to deteriorate and Hugh becomes convinced that David is to blame, and that she needs at least some time away from him. David doesn’t react to this decision well and, in order to see Jade again, concocts harebrained scheme to set fire and immediately put it down in order to become instant hero. Plan goes disastrously wrong with Butterfields’ home being burned to the ground and family barely escaping with their lives. David ends up in mental institution where he would spend years dreaming about seeing Jade again. When he is finally released, he starts to search for her again unaware that his search will have tragic consequences.

Spencer’s novel, among the other things, dealt with the issues of teenage sexuality and this probably attracted producers who had thought that the more explicit use of those motives and ensuing controversy could do wonders at the box-office, just as they did with The Blue Lagoon one year earlier. Brooke Shields, still a teenager, was again brought to play the female lead and again had to appear in rather explicit sex scenes aided by body doubles. Franco Zeffirelli was brought to direct due to his great success in 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in which title characters had been played by teenage actors. He did a solid job and managed to create intense atmosphere in couple of scene. Cast did well too, including 23-year old Martin Hewitt who, unlike her partner, actually appeared naked on screen. He had good chemistry with Shields, who was very good in her role and, with great beauty, appeared perfect for the role of young woman someone would be ready to throw his life away. Another good performance was given by Shirley Knight in unusual and at times thankless role of Jade’s mother who admits that she tries to bring back her youth through her daughter’s romantic adventure.

This film, however, fails because of the bad script by Judith Rascoe which gives some terrible dialogue to characters and often succumbs to melodramatic cliches, especially at the ending. Her efforts seem even worse due to many missed opportunities. One of such was possible exploration of the often confusing effects of Sexual Revolution on the emerging Generation X and apparent inability of their, seemingly “liberated” parents to effective deal with those issues. Rascoe puts both sets of protagonists’ parents into the same ideological camp – Axelrods (played by Richard Kiley and Beatrice Straight) are self-confessed socialists who, however, mostly ignore their son and his predicament until it is too late; Butterfields are, on the other hand, acting like old hippies, at least until Hugh suddenly and not very convincingly transforms into overprotective guardian of his daughter’s virtue. Rascoe’s script also does poor job of making the audience sympathise with character, if not played by Hollywood hunk, would be seen as obsessive stalker and dangerous lunatic. In the end, most of the audience didn’t care, being attracted to a seemingly romantic film about beautiful people in love. The title song, composed by Lionel Richie and sung by him in duet with Diana Ross, became one of the biggest hits of its time and also contributed to its success. Many who had their first experiences with slow dancing because of the song would probably find some enjoyment in Endless Love, but for others it will be mostly disappointing. Yet, even with all of its problems, 1981 version is predictably better than its 2014 soulless remake.

RATING: 4/10 (++)

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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/19114-endless-love
Critic: AA