The Blue Lagoon (1980)

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers:

Henry De Vere Stacpoole (novel)
Douglas Day Stewart (writer)

Release Date:

5 July 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A story of natural love.

Plot:

On a Journey to San Fransico Richard, his father and cousin Em find them selves on a ship about to explode...

Plot Keywords:

Teen Erotica | Spanking | Teenage Boy | Puffer Fish | Teenage Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Brooke Shields	...	Emmeline
Christopher Atkins	...	Richard
Leo McKern	...	Paddy Button
William Daniels	...	Arthur Lestrange
Elva Josephson	...	Young Emmeline
Glenn Kohan	...	Young Richard
Alan Hopgood	...	Captain
Gus Mercurio	...	Officer
Jeffrey Kleiser	...	Lookout (as Jeffrey Means)
Bradley Pryce	...	Little Paddy
Chad Timmerman	...	Infant Paddy
Gert Jacoby	...	Sailor
Alex Hamilton	...	Sailor
Richard Evanson	...	Sailor

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Argentina:13 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Spain:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Blue Lagoon, Port Antonio, Jamaica

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Because of the belief that the "heroic man is supposed to be taller than the woman", Brooke Shields spent much of this movie walking in trenches dug into the beach. This was due to the fact that, despite being only 14 (compared to Christopher Atkins' 18 years), Brooke Shields was already 5'10", dwarfing Chris Atkins height of 5'6". Years later, they would appear on an awards show, this time she standing her full adult height of 6', prompting his comment of "it's like having the 'Statue of Liberty' standing beside me".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Paddy slides down the waterfall shouting, his mouth isn't moving.

Quotes:

Richard: [tries to kiss Emmeline, but she cringes]
Emmeline: I'm sorry, Richard.
Richard: You didn't want to all day yesterday, either. What's the matter, Em? Don't you love me anymore?
Emmeline: Yes, I love you more than ever, Richard.
Richard: Then why don't you wanna do it?
Emmeline: It just hurts right now, that's all. When it stops hurting, we'll do it.
Richard: When is THAT gonna be? I don't understand, Em. Why does it hurt?
Emmeline: I don't know. I don't know anything. But if you touch my tummy right now, you can feel it.
Richard: Feel what?
[puts his hand on Em's belly]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Horrors of Spider Island (#11.11)" (1999)

So much more than a movie

Last year I watched The Blue Lagoon for the first time and thought it was absolutely amazing. When I tell people this they usually laugh in my face and say that I only like it because of Chris Atkin's sex appeal, but that is not the only reason. This movie epitomizes Freud's theories of the id, ego and super ego- explaining these three branches of the human mind very effectively and creatively. It actually raised my interest in the subject of human psychology and sociology so much that I am considering it as a major in college. And who would have ever thought a buff man running around in a loin cloth could have given me direction in life?