This film is a contemporary variation on the 'Romeo and Juliet' theme. He is 17 and she is 15. Their love is determined to survive, despite all the problems that go with a teenage romance.
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CAST: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Beatrice Straight, Richard Kiley, James Spader, Ian Zeiring, Penelope Milford, Jan Miner, Salem Ludwig, Leon B. Stephens, Jami Gertz, Tom Cruise, Walt Gorney, Robert Altman.
DIRECTOR: Franco Zeffirelli
SCREENWRITER: Judith Rascoe
STUDIO: Universal Pictures / PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
RUNNING TIME: 116 min.
RATED: R (US) & 15 (UK); contains simulated sex, nudity, profanity, and violence.
DVD AVAILABILITY: 7 GBP (Amazon); ASIN #B000BHLP4W
"When I was seventeen and in full obedience to my heart's most urgent commands, I stepped far from the pathway of normal life and in a moment's time ruined everything I loved---I loved so deeply, and when the love was interrupted, when the incorporeal body of love shrank back in terror and my own body was locked away, it was hard for others to believe that a life so new could suffer so irrevocably." --- Scott Spencer, "Endless Love"
************************************************************* CINEMATIC DESTRUCTION AND SUFFERING *************************************************************
The introduction you just read is the first paragraph of Scott Spencer's 1979 novel, "Endless Love," a novel about a young man named David Axelrod who is helplessly in love with a 16-year-old girl named Jade Butterfield. Rest assured, however, that Spencer's highly praised, best selling novel is not your typical teen romance, and it surely isn't the same style as, say, the works of Nicholas Sparks (i.e. "A Walk To Remember" and "The Notebook"). Both of those books have been turned into excellent movie adaptations, and it's a shame that the film version of ENDLESS LOVE isn't in the same league.
Scott Spencer's novel is about first love being destroyed, though its not so much about the love between two teenagers as it is about obsession. The book is told completely from David's point-of-view, and we don't really meet Jade until two thirds of the book is read. In summary, the story is this: we meet David right after he is banished from the Butterfield home because Jade's father is concerned that their love making has gone to extremes…so much that David and Jade even bought a full size bed from the Salvation Army and put it in Jade's room!
At the verge of insanity---because David is restricted from seeing Jade---he devises a plan to win the family's respect back by setting their house on fire and saving them; he didn't mean for the fire to spread out of control (ironically like his relationship with Jade) though it unfortunately did. Needless to say, the plan backfires: David confesses his guilt while under arrest, and is sentenced to three years in a mental hospital; Jade's father, Hugh, is outraged and appalled at the conviction.
When David is finally released he moves back in with his parents in Chicago, though his strict parole is hard to swallow for him: it says that he can never leave the city limits and that he can never contact any of the Butterfields (particularly Jade) under any circumstances. However, David is obsessed with finding his "endless love" and the majority of the book details his search for Jade. The novel is genuinely passionate and intense, and it just so happens to be my favorite novel of all time.
Put it simply, the film adaptation of "Endless Love" from 1981 is a complete abomination of everything the book represents; the adaptation by Judith Roscoe is like a skeletonized version, where it has no heart, no brain, no flesh, no blood; it has nothing but bone fragments of the storyline. Seriously, ENDLESS LOVE makes the adaptations of novels by Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Suzann look good by comparison! Granted, there are many loose adaptations of novels that have become great films, and THE WITCHES OF EASTICK (by John Updike), THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP (by John Irving), ONE TRUE THING (by Anna Quindlen) and, most notably, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (by Stephen King) are perfect examples. However, I firmly believe like many others that ENDLESS LOVE is one of the absolute worst cinematic adaptations ever made, second only to the Demi Moore version of THE SCARLET LETTER from 1995.
************************************************************* THE LOVE EVERY PARENT FEARS *************************************************************
The film opens up at a planetarium, where we see David (played by Martin Hewitt) come to see Jade (Brooke Shields) after skipping out of class; it is here that David is awkwardly introduced to the audience, by the teacher having to ask who the hell he is and what he is doing there. We hardly meet David's parents, who are only aware that he is in love with Jade and decides to spend more time with her at the Butterfield residence. One night, the Butterfields have a party and this is where the now-famous love theme by Lionel Ritchie starts to play; after all the guests have left, David decides to stay and make love to Jade in front of a roaring fire. While Jade's mother, Ann (Shirley Knight) catches them in the act, she decides to not say a word, and she simply smiles and goes back to bed.
While Ann is obviously happy by the union between David and Jade (who is actually 15 here), Hugh (Don Murray) is quite worried and when he catches David butt naked in his daughter's room, he feels he must take some control over the situation; as a result, Hugh decides to banish David from the house for 30 days and when the time has elapsed, the situation will be "reevaluated." David is not willing to accept it, but Ann convinces him otherwise just for the sake of Hugh's temper. While at school, a friend of his named Billy (played by Tom Cruise, in his film debut), tells him that it might be a good idea to burn down the Butterfield house just to get back at the father. Later, he goes back to the house and begins to get jealous at the sight of Jade talking to other guys and, that night, he sets a bunch of newspapers on the porch on fire.
Charged with arson, David is convicted and then sentenced to a mental institution, but soon begins to go crazy while there and demands that his parents release him, no matter what the consequences are. As with the book, he is given a tight parole, though he decides to travel to New York to get back with Jade by reconnecting with Ann. I'm not going say anymore not because I want to ruin the experience for anyone who might be willing to watch it, but just because everything that happens from there is completely preposterous. Not only is the final third of the great novel completely scrapped, but also the conclusion is insulting and not to be believed.
************************************************************* THE NADIR OF MOVIE ROMANCE *************************************************************
It's hard to believe that a film with so much talent behind it could bomb so easily, but ENDLESS LOVE is proof that. Italian director Franco Zefferelli is largely remembered for his great Shakespeare adaptations, which include the most faithful version of ROMEO & JULIET (1968), as well as the Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton version of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1967); even his version of HAMLET with Mel Gibson in the title role is not that bad. I guess that Zefferelli was considered the ideal choice for helming this film because of the occasional Shakespearean overtones (i.e. banishment, star-crossed lovers); however, Spencer wasn't inspired by Shakespeare, I can tell you that right now.
I read that Zefferelli said in an interview that the reason that he changed the story from being told from David's point-of-view to being a mutual love story between teenagers, was to not to tell the story in a "one-sided," fashion. Well, all I can say is that it didn't work at all: Spencer's novel stands out from other teenage love stories because of the suffering that David goes through and everything he does to rectify it; it is HIS story, not Jade's. If you ask me, I think Zefferelli was more concerned about reaching a wide audience by making the film a typical teen romance…though he should have gotten another writer for the script (or at least do a rewrite).
Judith Rascoe does more than butcher the novel; she also manages to make the characters unsympathetic and, as a result, we don't even care about them! What pisses me off the most is how Rascoe came up with reasons (more like excuses) like jealousy and a friend's recommendation for David to burn the Butterfield home, instead of getting inside his head and learning his real reasons. Granted, flashbacks can be overdone nowadays, but she insists on putting the events in chronological order…and the first 45 minutes are almost all a complete fabrication. Then, she does begin to follow a few scenes from the book somewhat, and then creates a phony ending and not even bothering with the powerful final third of the book. She may have been worried about character development, though she didn't achieve any by not using the book as a model and a guide. I'm an amateur screenwriter myself and have taken several classes on screenwriting and film adaptations and can tell you all right now: what Rascoe did was completely unacceptable, and I still can't believe that Zefferelli agreed to go with it.
************************************************************* WHAT A CAST! WHAT A WASTE! *************************************************************
As for the acting, well, what can we say about Brooke Shields that has not already been said? I actually heard that Shirley Knight begged Zefferelli to cast Jodie Foster in the title role! All I'm saying is that Brooke is certainly beautiful, but still remains one of the worst actresses of all time in my book, and her performance as Jade manages to be even worse than her turn in THE BLUE LAGOON. She plays Jade like a spoiled, whiny little brat; by contrast, in the novel, Jade is smart and strong, even if she is not able to stand up to her father. Plus, even if she is not in the book much, she is not one-dimensional in any way, and the movie has none of the wonderful dialogue that is given to her while she is with David in bed that displays what she is truly feeling.
The veteran cast of A-list names include two-time Oscar nominee Shirley Knight (AS GOOD AS IT GETS, TV's "Desperate Housewives"), Don Murray, the late Richard Kiley (Emmy winner for "Picket Fences") and Beatrice Straight (Oscar winner for 1976's NETWORK); in addition, this also marked the film debuts for four young actors: James Spader (as the angry son Keith Butterfield), Jami Gertz, Ian Zierling, and finally Tom Cruise, who has only three lines of dialogue. Despite all that talent, it still does not make ENDLESS LOVE watchable in anyway; much of the problem is miscasting, and the characters they play are never fleshed out, except for Knight, who tries real hard to be faithful to the book's key character Ann Butterfield.
Martin Hewitt has always been a complete unknown, and while I give Zefferelli credit for casting an amateur instead of a major star, Hewitt is offensive and atrocious in his interpretation of David Axelrod. For one thing, he plays the role like a heartbroken, lovestruck stud rather than an obsessive teenager; we learn almost nothing about him except the fact he loves Jade and prefers to be with her family over his own. Even after he is thrown into the mental hospital, we never really get inside his head, feel for him, or understand his breakdown. Granted the film---as well as the novel---is about first love and the fact that teenagers are overwhelmed with feelings like this too early that it destroys them---but Hewitt doesn't give his character an ounce of life or emotion. The guy has looks, to be sure, but David is supposed to be average in appearance, someone who doesn't really stand out from the crowd. What's worse, he makes love like a man who is getting castrated.
************************************************************* SOFTCORE INSTEAD OF HARDCORE *************************************************************
Probably the worst thing about ENDLESS LOVE though, next to the acting and writing that is, is the love scenes; purportedly, the film was originally slapped with an X rating and, when released, parents were disturbed by the fact that it showed teenagers in the throes of sexual passion. Well, they didn't complain about the book, which is actually much more graphic in what it details. Let me put it this way, there are two very long sexual passages in the novel, and they include one where Jade and David are making love while she is having her period, and another where, after hours of uninterrupted sex, she wants to try a (ahem) different position, though he hesitates. Whatever you may be thinking, the sex in the book is sensually written, quite essential---and even symbolic---to the story and its dynamics, believe it or not.
Obviously, the novel would be difficult to adapt with the sex scenes fully intact, and the movie manages to not only present two teenagers making love in softcore fashion (complete with the nauseatingly "romantic" score by Jonathan Tunick) but the scenes render the actors laughable. The lighting is dark, somewhat out of focus, and for some reason, the director wanted blue light to shine on them (don't ask me!); plus, when Hewitt supposedly has an orgasm, his face is almost identical to Meg Ryan's in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY---and, to be honest, I cannot decide which scene is funnier, lol. The scene in front of the fireplace is not as funny, but I still emitted some chuckles. Lastly, if you truly want to see Brooke Shields in love scenes, re-rent THE BLUE LAGOON instead; at least they were somewhat realistic…and in a much more bright and colorful setting!
************************************************************* "MY LOVE, THERE'S ONLY YOU IN MY LIFE" *************************************************************
The only good thing that really came out of ENDLESS LOVE was the love theme (not including the rest of the score) by Lionel Richie, and, of course, the title song by Richie and Diana Ross. I admit that I love this song, which has topped lists of romantic tunes for years…but it deserved a better film to back it up. Remember that sequence in HAPPY GILMORE, when Adam Sandler takes his girlfriend out on the skating rink and kisses her? Yep, that is the song that was playing, and Sandler even admits that the only reason he saw the film was because he had a thing for Brooke Shields---yeah, who didn't in the early 1980s?
The soundtrack contains a number of decent songs, including "I Was Made For Lovin' You" by KISS, "Heart of Glass" by Blondie, and "Dreaming of You," which was also performed by Richie and Ross. While the soundtrack was released on CD in 1998, I recommend that you just get a compilation list of love songs which happen to have Richie & Ross tune rather than pay over 70 GBP, which is the price listed on Amazon for it; apparently, the soundtrack is THAT rare! Or better yet, just download it off the Internet for your MP3 or Ipod---you will be much better off.
************************************************************* IF YOU MUST WATCH, READ THE BOOK FIRST *************************************************************
I know, some people don't really care about how good or bad an adaptation does, and its unfortunate that the few people out there who do like this film have never read the book---and, most likely, never heard of it. I admit that, being that "Endless Love" is my favorite novel, that this movie offends me more than some others. Yet, I strongly feel that the writing, acting, and directing all fully failed even for a very loose adaptation; the ridiculous love scenes, embarrassing elevator score, and poor cinematography and lighting just makes it all the more worse.
I must stipulate that for many years I've been working on a new adaptation of the novel to hopefully film someday; I will be leaving for film school in the Spring, and I will be making "Endless Love" one of my first projects. I want to do it for two reasons: one, to make a faithful version of the book, and two, to destroy the memory of the original 1981 film version. If I do get this opportunity, I would cast unknowns in the parts of David and Jade, and would cast distinguished stage or screen actors in the roles of the parents; plus, I prefer to not make the sex scenes too graphic but at least not superficial and pornographic; I'm concentrating on realism, not bad blue lighting! The problem is obtaining the rights of the book; I wouldn't blame Mr. Spencer for not trusting studios again with his masterpiece, but I think a great script is really the key for his approval.
So, in conclusion, I'm making one simple request: please read the book before you even consider watching the movie. If you are curious enough to watch the film for Tom Cruise and James Spader in their film debuts, then I would recommend a rental first. The film is available on DVD for 7 GBP from www.amazon.co.uk, and the 3rd edition of the book from 1999 is available for 4 GBP, or even less at your local bookshop; the ISBN number is 0880016280. Thank you for reading, I know this was a long review, but I greatly appreciate you getting through it. Looking forward to all of your comments as usual. Cheers for Now, Chris xxx
************************************************************* RIDICILOUS QUOTES (ALL NOT IN THE BOOK) *************************************************************
1) "How do you like that? We call ourselves socialists and he dresses up like a Rockefeller!" --- Beatrice Straight "Leave him alone…he's in love!" --- Richard Kiley
2) "Imagine getting up in the morning and seeing a lake like that. This is a place for the family to go to." --- David Hewitt "Relax, David…just because you're f******* my sister doesn't mean you are part of the family!" --- James Spader
3) "David is here…he is bare ass and standing in our daughter's room!" --- Don Murray "My God! I thought it was something awful!" --- Shirley Knight
4) "You know he stays overnight here and just scuttles away in the morning. He's been doing that for a while now. It's so sweet…like bats!" --- Shirley Knight
5) "He doesn't care about you! He only cares about your own satisfaction! I don't want him in my house!" --- Don Murray "Dad, we are not kids anymore!" --- Brooke Shields
6) "I tried to burn a house down once. I was 8 years old and into arson…could you believe it? Don't tell my Mom what I just told you either!" --- Tom Cruise
7) "David, you are in love with a girl who doesn't exist anymore. She hasn't called or written…" --- Richard Kiley "Of course not, those bastards at the hospital never forwarded my letters!" --- David Hewitt
8) "I should be angry!" --- Shirley Knight "It's hard to explain, but I could never make love to anyone but Jade!" --- David Hewitt
************************************************************* TRIVIA AND CRITIC'S CORNER *************************************************************
TRIVIA NOTE #1: As with THE BLUE LAGOON, the filmmakers hired a nude model to substitute for Shields, since she was underage and her mother refused for her to appear naked onscreen.
TRIVIA NOTE #2: In 1982, this film was nominated for a record six Razzie awards: Worst Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actress (Knight) and Screenplay Adaptation. However, the Academy Awards nominated Lionel Richie's title song for Best Original Song!!!
TRIVIA NOTE #3: Ian Zierling, who can barely be seen as Jade's youngest brother Sammy Butterfield, later went on to play Steve Sanders throughout the entire run of "Beverly Hills, 90210."
CRITIC'S QUOTE #1: "Scott Spencer's deservedly praised novel about an obsessive romance between two teenagers is thoroughly trashed in textbook example of everything of how to do everything wrong in literary adaptation. Rightfully regarded as one of the worst films of its time." --- Leonard Maltin, Entertainment Tonight
CRITIC'S QUOTE #2: "The movie does not understand the particular strengths of the novel that inspired it, does not convince us it understands adolescent love, does not seem to know its characters very well, and is a narrative and logical mess." --- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times
CRITIC'S QUOTE #3: "All the essence and meaning of the book are lost into something soppy, superficial, and totally commercial; the story is horribly amputated of the core elements like the obsession and the passion. The worst are certainly the love scenes!" --- Alma, www.imdb.com
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