Endless Love (film)
Encyclopedia
Endless Love is a 1981 romantic drama film
directed by Franco Zeffirelli
, starring Brooke Shields
and Martin Hewitt
. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer. The original music score
was composed by Jonathan Tunick
.
The film was a moderate box-office success, and the film's theme song by Diana Ross
and Lionel Richie
, also called "Endless Love
", became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
, and was the biggest-selling single in Ross' career.
As of 2011, the film has yet to be released in the United States
on DVD
(Region 1).
, teenagers Jade Butterfield (Brooke Shields
) and David Axelrod (Martin Hewitt
) fall in love and develop an all-consuming and passionate relationship. Jade's family is known in their community for a bohemian
lifestyle; they allow the two to make love in Jade's bedroom. In contrast to the openness of her family, David's home life is dull; his parents are wealthy political activists who are not actively involved in his life.
One night Jade's mother Ann (Shirley Knight
) sneaks downstairs, and upon seeing Jade and David make love in her living room, starts living vicariously. Jade's father, Hugh (Don Murray
), watches the couple with increasing unease. Soon Jade realizes her regular sexual encounters with David are depriving her of sleep and adversely affecting her grades at school. Eventually, she tries to steal a sleeping pill in order to get some sleep, but her father catches her in the act. Subsequently, he firmly tries to persuade David to stop seeing Jade until the end of school vacation in 30 days. Although David is heavily opposed to this idea, Ann gently coaxes him into agreeing, telling him not to let Hugh "do something he'll regret."
One of David's friends jokingly suggests kidnapping Jade to get her back or burning down the Butterfield house in revenge. Another friend then tells David that when he was 8 years old he tried burning a pile of newspapers and after he became scared, put the fire out, only to find his parents think he was a hero for saving the house from burning. Inspired by this story, David starts a fire on the Butterfields' front porch and walks away briefly to be seen returning to the flame. By the time he returns, the flame has spread too far and he rushes to warn the family but he is too late, the entire house is lost.
Following the trial for arson, David is sent to a mental hospital
for the next two years and is forbidden from ever going near Jade or her family again. Nevertheless, he continues to write daily, but his letters are held and never mailed. He receives them upon his exit, learning for the first time why Jade never wrote back, thus renewing his spark to pursue her.
When David is released on probation
, he goes to look for Jade and remains in love with her. In the meantime, following the loss of their home, the Butterfield family has moved from Chicago to Manhattan
, and Ann and Hugh divorce
. In Manhattan, Ann tries to seduce David, but he refuses and tells her he can make love only with Jade. In a chance meeting, Hugh sees David on the streets of Manhattan and while chasing David, Hugh is hit by a car and killed. Hugh's new girlfriend Ingrid Orchester catches up to the scene and cannot put together what just happened, but later recognizes David as having been present at the accident.
Later, Jade goes to see David to say goodbye but he pulls her back as she tries to leave, throwing her on the bed and begging for her to admit she still loves him. Jade does, and resumes her relationship with him. When Jade's older brother Keith (James Spader
) tells the couple to come downstairs, he tells Jade that David is at fault for their father's death. Jade refuses to believe this and turns to David for the truth. He tries to explain it was an accident, but before he has a chance, and Keith fights with David until the police arrive and arrest David.
Sent to prison
, David seems doomed never to see Jade again. Jade tells her mother that no one will ever love her the way David does. The final scene shows Jade walking toward the prison where David is being held.
, Jami Gertz
, and Jeff Marcus
, and features very early appearances by James Spader
, as the elder brother of Brooke Shields, and of a pre-Beverly Hills, 90210
, Ian Ziering
.
The film was shot on location in Chicago
, New York City
, and Long Island
. The film was noted to have one of the most spectacular one-man stunt displays when Hugh Butterfield gets hit by a car in New York. The stuntman does a high end-over-end flip in mid-air.
called it "a textbook example of how to do everything wrong in a literary adaptation
...Scott Spencer's deservedly-praised novel is thoroughly trashed."), Endless Love was a financial box office success. It grossed $31,184,024 in the U.S. alone (the 22nd highest grossing film of 1981).
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
directed by Franco Zeffirelli
Franco Zeffirelli
Franco Zeffirelli KBE is an Italian director and producer of films and television. He is also a director and designer of operas and a former senator for the Italian center-right Forza Italia party....
, starring Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
and Martin Hewitt
Martin Hewitt (actor)
Martin Hewitt is an American actor. He is best known for his film debut as David Axelrod in Franco Zeffirelli's Endless Love , as Dan in Yellowbeard and his role as Chad Douglas Fairchild in Zalman King's Two Moon Junction...
. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer. The original music score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was composed by Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, one of twelve people to have won all four major American show business awards: the Tony, Oscar, Emmy and Grammy. He has also worked with all of the other eleven people. His principal instrument is the clarinet...
.
The film was a moderate box-office success, and the film's theme song by Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, also called "Endless Love
Endless Love (song)
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and fellow soul singer Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross with R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by...
", became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and was the biggest-selling single in Ross' career.
As of 2011, the film has yet to be released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
(Region 1).
Plot
In suburban ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, teenagers Jade Butterfield (Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
) and David Axelrod (Martin Hewitt
Martin Hewitt (actor)
Martin Hewitt is an American actor. He is best known for his film debut as David Axelrod in Franco Zeffirelli's Endless Love , as Dan in Yellowbeard and his role as Chad Douglas Fairchild in Zalman King's Two Moon Junction...
) fall in love and develop an all-consuming and passionate relationship. Jade's family is known in their community for a bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
lifestyle; they allow the two to make love in Jade's bedroom. In contrast to the openness of her family, David's home life is dull; his parents are wealthy political activists who are not actively involved in his life.
One night Jade's mother Ann (Shirley Knight
Shirley Knight
Shirley Enola Knight is an American stage, film and television actress. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, in 1960 for The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and in 1962 for Sweet Bird of Youth....
) sneaks downstairs, and upon seeing Jade and David make love in her living room, starts living vicariously. Jade's father, Hugh (Don Murray
Don Murray (actor)
Donald Patrick "Don" Murray is an American actor.-Early life and career:Murray was born in Hollywood, California on July 31, 1929, the only child of Dennis Aloisius, a Broadway dance director and stage manager and Ethel Murray, a former Ziegfeld performer...
), watches the couple with increasing unease. Soon Jade realizes her regular sexual encounters with David are depriving her of sleep and adversely affecting her grades at school. Eventually, she tries to steal a sleeping pill in order to get some sleep, but her father catches her in the act. Subsequently, he firmly tries to persuade David to stop seeing Jade until the end of school vacation in 30 days. Although David is heavily opposed to this idea, Ann gently coaxes him into agreeing, telling him not to let Hugh "do something he'll regret."
One of David's friends jokingly suggests kidnapping Jade to get her back or burning down the Butterfield house in revenge. Another friend then tells David that when he was 8 years old he tried burning a pile of newspapers and after he became scared, put the fire out, only to find his parents think he was a hero for saving the house from burning. Inspired by this story, David starts a fire on the Butterfields' front porch and walks away briefly to be seen returning to the flame. By the time he returns, the flame has spread too far and he rushes to warn the family but he is too late, the entire house is lost.
Following the trial for arson, David is sent to a mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
for the next two years and is forbidden from ever going near Jade or her family again. Nevertheless, he continues to write daily, but his letters are held and never mailed. He receives them upon his exit, learning for the first time why Jade never wrote back, thus renewing his spark to pursue her.
When David is released on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, he goes to look for Jade and remains in love with her. In the meantime, following the loss of their home, the Butterfield family has moved from Chicago to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, and Ann and Hugh divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. In Manhattan, Ann tries to seduce David, but he refuses and tells her he can make love only with Jade. In a chance meeting, Hugh sees David on the streets of Manhattan and while chasing David, Hugh is hit by a car and killed. Hugh's new girlfriend Ingrid Orchester catches up to the scene and cannot put together what just happened, but later recognizes David as having been present at the accident.
Later, Jade goes to see David to say goodbye but he pulls her back as she tries to leave, throwing her on the bed and begging for her to admit she still loves him. Jade does, and resumes her relationship with him. When Jade's older brother Keith (James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) tells the couple to come downstairs, he tells Jade that David is at fault for their father's death. Jade refuses to believe this and turns to David for the truth. He tries to explain it was an accident, but before he has a chance, and Keith fights with David until the police arrive and arrest David.
Sent to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, David seems doomed never to see Jade again. Jade tells her mother that no one will ever love her the way David does. The final scene shows Jade walking toward the prison where David is being held.
Cast
- Brooke ShieldsBrooke ShieldsBrooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
as Jade Butterfield - Martin HewittMartin Hewitt (actor)Martin Hewitt is an American actor. He is best known for his film debut as David Axelrod in Franco Zeffirelli's Endless Love , as Dan in Yellowbeard and his role as Chad Douglas Fairchild in Zalman King's Two Moon Junction...
as David Axelrod - Shirley KnightShirley KnightShirley Enola Knight is an American stage, film and television actress. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, in 1960 for The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and in 1962 for Sweet Bird of Youth....
as Ann Butterfield - Don MurrayDon Murray (actor)Donald Patrick "Don" Murray is an American actor.-Early life and career:Murray was born in Hollywood, California on July 31, 1929, the only child of Dennis Aloisius, a Broadway dance director and stage manager and Ethel Murray, a former Ziegfeld performer...
as Hugh Butterfield - Richard Kiley as Arthur Axelrod
- Beatrice StraightBeatrice StraightBeatrice Whitney Straight was an American theatre, film, and television actress. Hers remains the shortest acting performance in a film to win an Oscar. In her winning role in the 1976 film Network, she was on screen for five minutes and forty seconds, the shortest time ever for the winner of the...
as Rose Axelrod - James SpaderJames SpaderJames Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
as Keith Butterfield - Ian ZieringIan ZieringIan Andrew Ziering is an American actor best known for playing Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.-Personal life:...
as Sammy Butterfield - Penelope MilfordPenelope MilfordPenelope Milford is an American film, stage, and television actress.An alumnus of the Chicago/New York theatrical scene , American actress Penelope Milford struck paydirt with her first film Coming Home...
as Ingrid Orchester - Tom CruiseTom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
as Billy - Jami GertzJami GertzJami Beth Gertz is an American actress. Gertz is known for her early roles in the films Sixteen Candles, Crossroads, The Lost Boys, Less Than Zero, the 1980s TV series Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker, and 1996's Twister, as well as for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing...
as Patty - Jeff MarcusJeff MarcusJeffrey Marcus is an American actor who stars on television, film and theater. Between 1980-1990, Marcus appeared on and off-Broadway in such plays as, The Survivor and Almost an Eagle starring James Whitmore. Jeff is best known for his television role as Albert Einstein, the Tenctonese janitor...
as Leonard - Walt GorneyWalt GorneyWalter Gorney was an American actor. He was known for his role as Crazy Ralph, the drunken old man who warns "You're all doomed!" in the 1980 hit horror movie Friday the 13th. He reprised his role in the sequel Friday the 13th Part 2...
as Passerby
Production
Endless Love was the feature film debut for a number of actors, including Tom CruiseTom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Jami Gertz
Jami Gertz
Jami Beth Gertz is an American actress. Gertz is known for her early roles in the films Sixteen Candles, Crossroads, The Lost Boys, Less Than Zero, the 1980s TV series Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker, and 1996's Twister, as well as for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing...
, and Jeff Marcus
Jeff Marcus
Jeffrey Marcus is an American actor who stars on television, film and theater. Between 1980-1990, Marcus appeared on and off-Broadway in such plays as, The Survivor and Almost an Eagle starring James Whitmore. Jeff is best known for his television role as Albert Einstein, the Tenctonese janitor...
, and features very early appearances by James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
, as the elder brother of Brooke Shields, and of a pre-Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, Ian Ziering
Ian Ziering
Ian Andrew Ziering is an American actor best known for playing Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.-Personal life:...
.
The film was shot on location in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The film was noted to have one of the most spectacular one-man stunt displays when Hugh Butterfield gets hit by a car in New York. The stuntman does a high end-over-end flip in mid-air.
Differences between the film and the novel
The novel and film differ in several respects. A great deal of the film is a prequel to the novel, which begins with David burning down the Butterfield's house. The story in the novel begins in 1967 and ends in 1977. Jade is a classic Woodstock-era flower child, not the typically middle-class suburban girl of the film which is set in the 1980s. The events of the film diverge significantly from those of the novel after Hugh dies. The death of Hugh takes place near the end of the film, but only in the middle of the novel. After that, in the novel Jade and David reunite and live together in Vermont for several months before he is re-arrested. Then David is held in psychiatric hospitals for several years, during which time Jade marries and moves to Europe and David has sexual relationships with several other women. At the end of the novel David is released and living with an unnamed woman while Jade remains married and in Europe.Reception
Despite being panned by numerous critics (movie historian Leonard MaltinLeonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
called it "a textbook example of how to do everything wrong in a literary adaptation
Literary adaptation
Literary adaptation is the adapting of a literary source to another genre or medium, such as a film, a stage play, or even ace video game...
...Scott Spencer's deservedly-praised novel is thoroughly trashed."), Endless Love was a financial box office success. It grossed $31,184,024 in the U.S. alone (the 22nd highest grossing film of 1981).
Awards and nominations
- Winner: 1981 ASCAP Award, Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, Endless Love - Nominee: 1982 Academy Award for Best Song, Lionel Richie, Endless Love
- Winner: 1982 American Movie Award, Marquee Award, Lionel Richie, Endless Love
- Nominee: 1982 Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
, Best Original Song - Motion Picture, Endless Love- Young Artist AwardYoung Artist AwardThe Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
s
- Young Artist Award
- Nominee: Best Young Motion Picture Actor - Martin Hewitt
- Nominee: Best Young Motion Picture Actress - Brooke Shields
- 1981 Golden Raspberry Awards1981 Golden Raspberry AwardsThe 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 29, 1982 at an Oscar night potluck party to recognize the worst the film industry had to offer in 1981. The recipients are denoted in bold:-Awards and nominations:-See also:*1981 in film...
- 1981 Golden Raspberry Awards
- Nominee: worst Actress - Brooke Shields
- Nominee: worst Director - Franco Zeffirelli
- Nominee: worst New Star - Martin Hewitt
- Nominee: worst Picture - Dyson Lovell
- Nominee: worst Screenplay - Judith Rascoe
- Nominee: worst Supporting Actress - Shirley Knight