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Picking up right after the tragic ending of its 1970 predecessor "Love Story," "Oliver's Story" begins with the funeral of Jenny Barrett, as her sorrow-stricken husband Oliver (reprised by Ryan O'Neal) watches in tears. Although actor O'Neal has aged nine years since initially taking on the role of a love-stricken son of a wealthy family, the plot continues as if we were still back in the early 70's, following Oliver through his daily routine of working himself to the point of exhaustion, in hopes that he can block out the unwanted memories of his former love. Frequent trips to a psychiatrist don't seem to be helping matters other than to give him someone to talk to besides his friends, who see fit to play matchmaker when and wherever possible. Their attempts are all in vain, however: Oliver refuses to allow himself to open up to anyone else, until divorcee Marcie Bonwit (Candice Bergen) comes into his life, and things start changing for the both of them. ***

True, "Love Story" was a tad on the routine side of Saccharine and Melodramatic, but there was something uniquely refreshing about its quiet candor and beautiful glimpse of love at its most affecting and honest. This money-hungry sequel, on the other hand, is one of those movies that proves that near-perfection the first time around is best left untouched. There's nothing very distinguishable about its series of events, which range from acceptably corny to downright maddening in their choppiness and uneven structure. The editing throws us this way and that, while the screenplay, co-adapted by Erich Segal from his own follow-up novel, gives its characters little room to expand or grow; they're basically there to deliver the dialogue and requisite tears when needed. The passing of nearly a decade is not kind to Ryan O'Neal, who lacks the punch he possessed in previous film, and comes off here as a simpering, whining martyr for grieving widowers everywhere. Bergen is punchy, but she and her co-star lack sparks. "Oliver's Story," although a nice try on occasion, is nothing more than the obligatory sequel.

The 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer for "Oliver's Story" is a better-than-expected effort from Paramount considering the age of the movie. The source print is in pretty good condition, with only a few instances of speckle or surface scratches; there is abundant film grain, but it's not very bothersome. Colors look nice for their age, although fleshtones can appear to lean a bit towards the orange side; blacks are solid for the most part, and contrast and shadow detail, while faded here and there, are generally well-preserved. Clarity is good, with sharp edges that have some enhancement halo issues in exterior scenes. All things considered, this one isn't half bad. ***

The audio is mastered in Dolby 2.0 Mono, but there's nothing truly distinguished about it, really. The dialogue sounds dated but isn't too harsh, really; the music, however, is a little too heavy on the high end, while the .1 LFE is erratic and unfocused.