User reviews

It's not a terrible movie, despite the wooden performances of the two lead actors. But this story of obsessive love and tragedy never becomes involving or interesting, and feels like it's much too long despite the relatively short running time.

The film does have two redeeming factors: beautiful cinematography and the legendary title song.

This movie has special meaning for me. I remember being 16 when I took the "love of my life" (who was 15) to see it. I had not seen it since...until tonight. For some reason, I had been thinking about this movie lately and looked on EBay and got it yesterday. I watched it tonight and cannot believe the memories it brought back. I was surprised to remember a lot of the scenes and lines throughout. It also made me terribly sad to remember that my "love" passed away in a car accident 3 years after we saw it together. The title song gets me every time. I cannot honestly say whether or not this is a "good" movie as far as "good" movies go. But I can say without a doubt that after watching this tonight for the first time in 25 years, this movie takes my heart to a place it hasn't been to since 1984 and made me remember an unforgettable night in 1981.

I guess that's what certain movies do, be it "good" or "bad".

David (Martin Hewitt) and Jade (Brooke Shields) fall in love with each other. When Jade's father feels their relationship affecting Jade's school grade, he made rule to separate them for a month

When David feels want it, David sleep over at Jade's room and made sex until morning, so Jade is sleepy inside school class? David play with fire and burned down Jade's house, when her father stop them to see each other just until school exam? It almost feels like the director really hate the boy character in the book, but then the actors are beautiful, nevertheless is the point. I am only partly remember, but probably the newer version of Endless Love is better and more believable. Plus, you wouldn't believe when you see Tom Cruise, he could make it beyond this film.

I don't know what everyone was talking about. This movie is great. I'm shocked at the low review and glad it didn't keep me from watching this movie, even though it almost did. I do agree that the performance left much to be desired, but they did have passion for each other. It was just the acting... Anyway, I didn't read the book and I think that was where the problem laid with a lot of people. It's rare that you will read the book and then watch the movie and be satisfied. Especially if it's a book you love. I'm glad I went into it not knowing much about it.

I do have to say how teed off I am about the huge spoiler in the description which tells what David did to the house, like WTHeck?! That doesn't even happen until halfway into the movie,Jesus!

Anyway, good watch. I will definitely watch it again and read the book. It was a beautiful tragedy.

Saw this movie when it came out and have watched it a few times since then. Really interesting to apply the mentality of today to a film which was made in an entirely different era. The late 70s was an era of experimentation which is reflected in the film. It would not make sense in today's context. Kudos to the young actors who showed how a first love can become an obsession. I think given her age, Brooke Shields did a great job with showing how out of control an immature relationship can get. The movie makes me remember a time when you could explore without being branded, grow without being labeled.

Performances were good in this movie. It shows how an immature love can get out of control and that your first love is always the 1 that hurts the most. Brooke Shields is just breathtaking to look at in this movie. No wonder she was 1 of the most photographed females of the 80s. Gush gush! What an amazingly beautiful face. I fell in love with her and I was only 6 years old. I think the bad ratings on this are due to the outcome of this young love but it is what it is and I enjoyed the film though it left me feeling a little empty. Just to look at Brooke Shields in her prime is worth it though. So gorgeous!

I will have to read the novel this is based on because, overall the effect of the story in unrealistic, and frankly, strange.

Yes, Brooke Shields looks lovely. Her sometime boyfriend is apparently obsessive. We see the usual nebulous references to psychiatry, which was a prevalent plot twist during this time period. When a story plot could not gel, the psychiatric angle would be thrown in to the story (Think: "Prom Night", "Halloween" or "Lipstick").

Don Murray as the ever concerned but clueless father, once again. Disjointed families, divorce and early 80's drama. Not the worst, but certainly could have been better. The hospital and diagnosis of the obsessive boyfriend were completely surreal. 4/10

I was just a young teenager when I snuck into the theater to see this one. This was the first "Love Story" I really ever watched, and I was touched. I was snatched away into the world of Jade and David, and seduced by the emotion and feelings. By the end, when the movie reaches it's climax, I was in tears. My heart was breaking for each of the charactors. Yes, I was young and emotional, but this movie made an impression on me and gave me my first lesson in Love. I snuck in two more times, just to feel those tears again. I Loved it!

To have such a gem in your hands, a natural beauty who can act, and create this? Overly dramatic and bad acting, inconsistent characters who's behavior doesn't make any sense, messed up script, pointless ending. I haven't read the book, but unfortunately, this movie is a waste of time.

Dreadful film of an obsessive love between two teenagers--David (Martin Hewitt) and Jade (Brooke Shields).

The book is fantastic--very well written and honest. The movie is just utter crap. I remember very clearly when it came out in 1981--there was a huge controversy (back then) over the fact that it dealt with two teenagers having sex. Supposedly it was slapped with a X rating originally because of the sex scenes (My guess is that the studio made that up--they realized how hopeless the movie was and decided to make up a controversy to "sell" it). Anyways, it was "edited" and released with an R rating. I saw it opening night...the audience HATED the film! They were actually laughing at the sex scenes! The real howler was when the mother saw her daughter and boyfriend having sex...and SMILED and WATCHED!!!!

It's really hard to believe Franco Zefferilli did this. Brooke Shields can't act (but that's a given). Martin Hewitt was drop dead gorgeous and actually gave a good performance as David. Also Shirley Knight was superb as Jade's mother--she ALMOST makes the film watchable. Also it's Tom Cruises film debut--another reason to hate the film. In his (thankfully brief) scene he proves that he's an even worse actor than Shields! James Spader does what he can as Jade's brother. Also the ending makes no sense at all.

Listen--read the book. It's great. Avoid this movie at all costs. Easily one of the worst films of the 1980s. Good for laughs only.

Finally gotten around to this. Had some difficulty buying it, along the way bought the 2014 Gabriella Wild remake. Checking up on it on Wikipedia the past few days, I expected a total shambles, and the haphazard way the movie started, well, I wasn't expecting too much. Wading in, longed for that remake. At first, didn't feel like a Brooke Shields movie at all, but then, with that girl singing that song Endless Love everything began falling into place, and as the story rolls on, I began to like it more and more, and, hey, Brooke Shields is just everything that lives up to her legendary status.

Unfortunately, the movie deteriorates at an alarming rate due to that arson plot development that comes like a bolt from the blue, without any clue in up-to-then normal boy David's behavior, which makes me feel it is just contrived. Before this movie finally irrevocably becomes a shambles to unfortunately remain a shambles and stay an utter shambles, I was gonna award it an 8. It had all the potential for a decent story and then went and threw it all away.

Shirley Knight, powerful performance. All the parents do a fine job, but Shirley's an especially good standout, so is Don Murray, the only guy in the movie who could act. I don't like Martin Hewitt, though. Comes across as a pretentious carnivore, something about him I don't like. Okay, they chose an actor who could play the dark side. Another reviewer, I've since seen, refers to Martin as a cipher. Just there. Exactly. He was capable of doing the nude scenes with Brooke. That's it. That got him the part. But that's all.

Something that few films of that era can say, this movie's first half stood the test of time. Except for that corny heart thing at the beginning, and the planetarium thing, didn't really work. Wonderful use of music, I Was Made For Loving You, Baby and Blondie with Heart of Glass, + as mentioned, that girl singing Endless Love.

Movie has a bad reputation. The author of the book is especially at odds with it. No, I haven't read the book. But the shortcomings have to be blamed on the book, it was the blueprint. The arson story twist is a crock, but surely, that's from the book?

Good start. Then derails. Love the good first half. As for the second half, producers, set fire to the whole lot!

Bottom line for me though: Brooke Shields is worth watching.

Endless Love (1981) is a romantic drama directed by Franco "Romeo and Juliet" Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt as the two young lovers Jade & David who go through thick and thin just to be with each other. The problem is that Jade's free love parents Ann and Hugh allow the young lovers to spend too much time together initially and when they try to act like disciplinarian parents, the cow has left the barn and there's no way it's going back in. Now forbidden to see each other, their love now knows no bounds as it reaches to a point where only something drastic and dramatic lies awaiting.

Based upon the novel "Endless Love" which was written by Scott Spencer and it's a much darker tale loosely based upon the writer's life. I found the movie to be a sweet and over-the-top melodramatic flick that's highly entertaining for all the wrong reasons. Brooke Shields demonstrates her acting abilities that were never quite truly harnessed to their fullest potential whilst director Franco Zeffirelli tries to recreate "Romeo and Juliet" all over again. Martin Hewitt is basically a cipher who goes through the motions, not horrible just there.

This is the worst movie ever made-bar none!! If I could give it a zero, no negative points, I would. I can't believe Shields and Spader were in it. I bet they never talk about it now. A stupid premise, bad script and terrible acting make this Zeffirelli flick seem like Tarentino meets Craven with no budget. Midway through this crap you just want all of the characters to die. At least you can get drunk and laugh at Plan 9 from Outer Space. After Endless Love you just want to shoot whomever suggested it (yourself included).

Here's one of the unforgettable 80's films, heralded by it's title song. EL is a beautifully shot and acted film, of a boundless love, between two late teens, (Shields and Hewitt, perfectly paired) which when sabotaged by outside parties, heads on a path of damage and destruction, which weighs heavily on Hewitt's character. He becomes unhinged, by the vetoing of him from Shield's family, after things really start to heat up. Besides an undeniable and explosive passion, there are other contributing factors here, with exams and finals coming up. Don Murray as Shield's father was a standout here, where Shirley Knight as the mother who was really good, but it was Murray, who added spice. Knight's open Mother character, was one I really liked though. As you'll see, they aren't your typical family, but they're one you like to be part off. James Spader as the protective and pushy son, who was the catalyst you'll see, was fun to watch. You really feel for Hewitt's character during his breakdown, with emotionally powered moments, this, the strongest section of story. But it's hard to really feel anything for Shield's character until her return, after a long absence of screen time, as really, you hardly learn much about her character, and not that much more in the after. Nearing it's end, there were some well up tear moments, where soon you have a sudden, yet, unsatisfactory, but thought provoking ending, in this Zeffereli's 80 masterpiece. One movie that will make you ponder, well after the curtains, have come down.

I guess what stroke me the most is how far the film is from the actual book. A very bland and 'nice' version of it. All the essence and meaning of the book are lost into something soppy, superficial and totally commercial. Generally the story is horribly amputated of the core elements like the obsession and the passion. The worst are certainly the love scenes. I don't think I have seen love scenes so badly filmed and acted (what are these stupid smiles on Jade-Brooke Shields face when David is making love to her?). Also at some point in the film, when David goes to the Butterfield house after he's been banished, looking through the window, you can see Jade's dad snogging a young girl who looks like the age of Jade. This is barely noticeable but come on it just does not make sense with the rest of the story as it is presented in the film!! Curiously I can't say I absolutely disliked it. The cast is somehow good (even if the acting tends to be poor) and the film exudes nostalgia of the late 70's early 80's period. But that's all it is.