Customer Reviews

Oliver's Story [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although not as interesting as "Love Story," this sequel does allow us to see what Oliver's life was like in the years after Jenny's death.

The movie begins with Jenny's funeral and we watch Oliver go through the motions of living, but not really participating in anything except his work. One day, he meets a jogger played by Candice Bergen. They begin a relationship that is pretty much of a bore to all but the most devoted Ryan O'Neal fans (of which I am definitely one!). Ms. Bergen's portrayal is wooden and unappealing, and viewers are probably relieved when she announces she can no longer live with Jenny's ghost. The one good thing her character, Marcy Bonwit Nash, does is take Oliver on a tour of her company's Hong Kong factories. When Oliver sees the poor conditions there, he begins to gain respect for his father and the way the senior Barrett ran his mills.

Oliver's long overdue reunion with his father is touching and we finally get a glimmer of hope at the end that Oliver has learned that living is for the living, and he will finally be able to live his life again.

Not a great movie, but interesting and definitely worth seeing if you loved "Love Story."

Oliver's Story is a must-see sequel for all those Love Story fans who cried when Jenny died. There is serious truth to the fact that only another great love can heal the hurt and loss of an equally great love. There is something to love being the great healer of our hearts. The only problem is that Oliver is still haunted by the ghost of Jenny ... and it is an obstacle to new love. Although widowed he is still trapped by memories which is a barrier to what is available in the land of the living. Another great reason to watch this is there is a reconciliation between Oliver and his father. So the plot has closure on alot of levels. The classically beautiful Candice Bergen is a great opposite against the equally handsome Ryan O'Neal.

First off, let me say that I can understand why this movie wasn't and still isn't as big as the first one. It doesn't seem to have this certain kind of flow that the first one had which made it special. At times you sit and wonder why did they even bothered. But for those who are hardcore fans of the first film should be able to appreciate the continuation of the story after Jenny's death. We will then begin to realize that the follow-up story isn't so bad afterall. It gives us a chance to see the struggles Oliver has after losing a loved one. It's still a realistic and touching story. I'd highly reccomend it more to the hardcore fans of Love Story.

I hesitated acquiring this movie, as it has been universally panned by the critics. "Love Story" was a classic of the '70's, so I believe the critics panned this movie, just because of their (justifiable in most cases) hatred for sequels in general. However, as a stand-alone movie, "Oliver's Story" is still quite an enjoyable film. I highly recommend anyone considering it to ignore the critics and give it a chance.

As for the DVD, it is a bare-bones release, not even including a trailer. The picture is adequate, showing no signs of wear or neglect, but not without a certain graininess.

One fluke I found using my Toshiba player was a French subtitle for the movie's opening title only. This is quite a strange occurence, given that French subtitles aren't even available from the "set-up" screen. My guess is that someone did some erroneous programming in the creation stages of the disc.

All in all, a quite enjoyable film, which I highly recommend.

Viewed: 2/09
Rate: 4

2/09: Oliver's Story could have been a good picture and is definitely a better movie than Love Story. Finally, this time, Ryan O'Neal gives a good, sincere performance like I've never seen him to do before. The biggest fault in Oliver's Story is the meandering direction which has frustrated me many times during the movie. I wasn't sure where the movie was heading, and when it was headed in a specific direction, the more I felt that it didn't fit in Oliver's character well. This frequently happens when Oliver is dating Marcia Bonwit, a female multimillionaire business magnate, because her personality is a complete opposite of Jenny's. I wasn't surprised at the outcome but feel the pang of uselessness of seeing time wasted on this relationship for Oliver's Story. As a matter of fact, I liked the other girl better who designs furniture sets. It helps to get rid of Ali MacGraw, but the consistency of the characters is hurt by the substitution of actor and actress playing Jenny's father and Oliver's mother. The first minute Jenny's father appeared, I said, "Who is that?" Then, I was surprised to learn that it was the father. The change of his personality is truly something else. At least, as a consolation, the producers didn't replace Ray Milland as Oliver's father. If they did, that would have been a catastrophe. The sudden change of Oliver's heart after showing up at his father's textile mill on the last day of its business is a very weak attempt in accepting his inevitable fate. It just needs work and better transition because much of the focus was on Oliver's lawyer work which didn't substantially show me anything interesting. In the end, there isn't much to learn from but feel a constant nothing. All in all, Oliver's Story fails due to poor direction despite the fact that Ryan O'Neil gave the best performance I've seen him in any film.

If you love the books the movies won't disappoint you. Oliver's Story is very close to the book, and Segal does help write the screenplay.
Oliver's Story is obviosly not as compelling as Love Story, but uncomparable by the subject difference. Oliver does make ammends with his dad which has given him the purpose and meaning he cannot find without Jenny. O'Neal does some great acting! He brings our desperate, searching, Barrett to life.

This is such a wonderful companion piece to "Love Story". It is great to know that Oliver can move on with his life and grow from his loss.