Director
Arthur Hillier
Leading Actors/Actresses
Ryan O'Neal, Ali McGraw
Supporting Actors/Actresses
John Marley, Ray Milland
Genre
Drama
Language
English
Awards
Academy Award for Best Soundtrack; Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Drama (McGraw), Best Director, Best Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score
Date of Release
December 16, 1970
Producer
Howard G. Minsky
Setting and Context
Harvard College, and subsequently New York City, 1970
Narrator and Point of View
The point of view is that of Oliver Barrett IV.
Tone and Mood
Initially the tone is hopeful and defiant, but it quickly becomes melancholy, sad, and depressing.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Oliver Barrett IV is the protagonist. His father is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
There is conflict between Oliver and his parents over his relationship with Jenny and their plans to get married.
Climax
Jenny passes away in Oliver's arms.
Foreshadowing
Jenny's difficulty in getting pregnant foreshadows the fact that there is an underlying cause which turns out to be terminal cancer.
Understatement
Oliver's father says that Jenny is not the kind of girl he should be marrying and from the Barrett's point of view this is actually an understatement because she is from a working-class family from the wrong side of town, she is not at Harvard, and her family is not socially well-connected.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
No specific examples.
Allusions
Jenny alludes to the educational establishments in Paris when she is talking about furthering her studies.
Paradox
Oliver's father wants to help Jenny but does not come to this conclusion until after her death.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the sacrifices that Oliver makes for Jenny in terms of his relationship with his family, and the sacrifices that Jenny makes for Oliver in terms of her musical career.
