Taglines: Why doesn’t anyone tell you there’s a difference between making love and being in love?
First Love movie storyline. Elgin Smith (William Katt) is a student attending Ridgedale College who spends his time working part time as a waiter on campus to pay for what his partial scholarship won’t, studying, attending classes, or kicking around a soccer ball to get some exercise (as he isn’t very good at the actual game to get much real playing time in his pickup league). He doesn’t have much of an active sex life as he isn’t in a relationship and he wants to equate making love with actual love, not only from his own perspective but also that of the other person in the relationship.
In that respect, he is unlike his dorm neighbor, David Bonner, who has sex with his girlfriend Felicia (June Barrett), while he fools around behind her back with another girl named Shelley (Beverly D’Angelo). Elgin’s life may change when he becomes infatuated at first sight with a student on campus, whom he will learn is named Caroline Hedges (Susan Dey). As Elgin is able to spend time with her, he, without truly knowing that much about her, does fall in love with her, as he believes she is progressing toward falling in love with him.
But what Elgin hopes will be a happily ever after with Caroline may change when he learns that there is another man in the picture, someone who has been in her life for most of her life, is old enough to be her father, but is married so that there is no guarantee if there is a future for them regardless of what she may want. Elgin may get a different perspective of his relationship with Caroline and young love in general in discussions with Shelley, who hangs out with him on the occasions when she has to wait for David to finish his time with Felicia.
First Love is a 1977 American romantic drama film starring William Katt and Susan Dey and directed by Joan Darling. The movie is based upon the 1957 short story Sentimental Education by Harold Brodkey. The original music score was composed by John Barry. But much of his score was unused in favour of songs from Cat Stevens and Paul Williams, and material from Carmine Coppola and Jean Sibelius, resulting in Barry removing his name from the credits.
About the Story
Elgin (William Katt) is a college student who spends much of his time studying literature and concentrating on his physical fitness by playing solitary soccer. One day, he overhears his friend David (John Heard) making love next door. He then hears David’s girlfriend pounding on the door, demanding to know who’s in his room with him. Shelly (Beverly D’Angelo) comes into Elgin’s room wearing only a towel, implying she was the woman with David just a moment ago. Shelly says she will only be there for a short time until David finishes making love with his girlfriend; but it takes a lot longer. David thanks Elgin by setting him up with Shelly.
Elgin first sees Caroline (Susan Dey) during a meal. After the meal, Elgin and Shelly separate from David and his girlfriend, ending up in his room. Shelly declares that she likes Elgin and offers to make love to him. When she disrobes, he is shocked and spurns her advances.
In a later scene, Elgin is working as the busboy at the school’s cafeteria. There, he has his first conversation with Caroline but ends up spilling tea on her and her book. She still leaves her dormitory name on a sheet of paper and he goes to see her with a new copy of the book. After a rough start, she agrees to go and have coffee with him. She alludes to having another boyfriend, but he is smitten and decides to join a class she is in, three weeks after it had started. After talking to Caroline, Elgin learns that her father had died a long time ago. They go on their first real date to the symphony and the chemistry between them becomes clear.
Caroline introduces Elgin to the other man, John (Robert Loggia), who is already married. She is visibly shaken by this meeting and asks to spend a night with Elgin, because she doesn’t want to be alone. Their love making is interrupted by David who says Elgin is late for work. Elgin runs to work and David convinces Caroline to take a ride back to her dorm on his motorcycle. Elgin spots them together and he fights David in a jealous rage; but feels better when Caroline tells him that she’s not interested in David. Elgin gets fired for being late to work.
David and Caroline watch Elgin while he plays a successful game of soccer. Elgin and Caroline were making love again when he asks about John (Robert Loggia), who worked with her father as a lawyer, and whom she had known all her life. He gets jealous after he learns that she slept with John, but Caroline gets mad about the entire conversation. Elgin gets nervous when he can’t get hold of her, but finds a note which tells him to join her, alone, at her family’s estate.
Elgin meets Caroline and they pick up where they left off, but she resists him while they are in her childhood playhouse. She told him that this is the place where her father committed suicide. The phone rings before they drive together back to school. During the drive, Caroline tells him that it was John on the phone. Carolin explains that John wants her back, and they can’t see each other any more. Elgin pulls his motorcycle out from the back of the car and leaves her on the side of the road alone in the car. Elgin returns to his dorm to find Shelly sitting by his door. Shelly declares her love for David, but thinks he doesn’t feel the same. Elgin turns Shelly down for sex a second time.
First Love (1977)
Directed by: Joan Darling
Starring: William Katt, Susan Dey, John Heard, Beverly D’Angelo, Robert Loggia, Swoosie Kurtz. Tom Lacy, Swoosie Kurtz, June Barrett, Pat O’Hara, Judy Kerr, Jenny Hill
Screenplay by: Jane Stanton Hitchcock. David Freeman
Production Design by: Robert Luthardt
Cinematography by: Bobby Byrne
Film Editing by: Frank Morriss
Costume Design by: Donfeld
Set Decoration by: Donfeld
Music by: John Barry
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: November 4, 1977
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