Endless Love (1981 film)
Endless Love is a 1981 American romantic drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and starring Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Penelope Milford and Beatrice Straight. It also marked Tom Cruise's film debut.
| Endless Love | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Franco Zeffirelli |
| Screenplay by | Judith Rascoe |
| Based on | Endless Love by Scott Spencer |
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | David Watkin |
| Edited by | Michael J. Sheridan |
| Music by | Jonathan Tunick |
Production company | PolyGram Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9.7 million |
| Box office | $32.4 million |
Based on the 1979 Scott Spencer novel of the same name, the screenplay was written by Judith Rascoe. The original music score was composed by Jonathan Tunick. Although the novel is set in the summer of 1969, the movie transports the action to the early 1980s. The film also discards the non-chronological structure of the novel and tells all the events in chronological sequence.
Critics compared the film unfavorably to the novel, which showcased the dangers of obsessive love. Despite the poor reviews, its eponymous theme song, performed by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song spent nine weeks at #1 and received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for "Best Original Song", along with five Grammy Award nominations.