When I first heard about the film Endless Love I was a bit “miffed”. Some movies shouldn’t be remade – they were perfect just the way they were originally made.
I love the film Endless Love staring Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt and James Spader. It featured that beautiful song by Lionel Richie, Endless Love.
I had the opportunity to screen the remake of Endless Love. While there were a few similarities here and there I wouldn’t consider it a remake at all. The only true similarities are the names and the issues between David and Jade’s family.
Endless Love stars Alex Pettyfer as David and Gabriella Wilde as Jade.
Jade Butterfield is a bright young girl with a great future ahead of her. She doesn’t have any friends and stays close to her parents. It’s how she’s learned to cope with the death of her brother Christopher who died from cancer.
David Elliot has had a crush on Jade for many years but never had the nerve to approach her.
After graduation Jade’s family takes her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant to celebrate. There Jade meets David who works there as valet. They finally make contact when Jade accidentally drops her yearbook and David picks it up. The pair look into each other’s eyes for a few moments until Jade is called away by her father.
Sensing a connection with David, Jade wants the opportunity to see him again. She asks her parents for a graduation party at their house so she can invite the graduating class. Since she has no friends her mom thinks its a great idea, but her dad is a bit reluctant. When he agrees Jade excitedly goes outside to invite David, who accepts her invitation.
Jade is excited about her party but her excitement turns to disappointment when only her father’s friends show up. To her delight David finally arrives, but he is the only person from school. David wants to make Jade happy so he makes a few phone calls and soon the Butterfield house is overflowing with Jade and David’s classmates.
Jade and David are overwhelmingly attracted to one another, even stealing a kiss inside a closet. And even though they haven’t officially dated Jade tells David to come back when the lights are out. When he does she gives herself to him – even though David resisted. It was 100% Jade who initiated it.
From that point on David and Jade are a couple and they spend every waking moment together. Jade’s family is thrilled because they haven’t seen Jade this happy since before her brother died. The only one who has an issue with their relationship is Jade’s father. She worries that David is going to prevent her from living the life he had planned out for her including an internship and then attending Brown University (the school her late brother was to attend) as she works towards her medical degree.
The situation gets more intense when Jade gives up a valuable internship to spend more time with David. That is when Jade’s father had it with the relationship, demands that she stop seeing David and whisks the family off to their summer home on the lake. Jade’s father thinks he has the situation under control until David shows up at the summer home at Jade’s request.
David tries very hard to get her father to like him, but Mr. Butterfield is determined to break them up – even going so far as to dig up David’s criminal past.
Jade’s father is FINALLY able to break the couple up – but for how long? Did he finally succeed or will his plan backfire? To find out you need to pick up a copy of Endless Love, now available where movies are sold on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
There were a few similarities between the original film and this film, but mostly it was a different story. The only similarities are the characters names, the father disapproving of the relationship, and a fire, but that is about it.
Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde have great on screen chemistry which made their love story believable. I found myself rooting for them and their relationship. David is a good boy despite his criminal past (there is a good story behind that).
The film is rated PG-13. There really wasn’t much bad language (not that I noticed) and only a few tussles (no major fights). Jade and David do consummate their relationship but it happens briefly and there is only some bare skin, not “private parts” shown. There are a few other things where sex is implied.
I thought it was a sweet story. My almost 17 year old saw it when it was in theaters and said it was a “cute” movie. Cute is not an adjective I would use to describe this film. Sweet, romantic, touching… that’s more like it.
There are some bonus features on the Blu-ray including deleted scenes and an alternate ending. There is also a feature about the making of Endless Love.
Here is the film’s trailer. It does mention Valentine’s Day – that was for the theatrical release. The movie is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. Also, after the trailer is a cute e-card you might enjoy too. 🙂
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in anyway.