You Light Up My Life (1977) User Reviews

A Victim of Its Excessive Promotion

[aimless-46 · 6/10 · 4 October 2006]

Had "You Light Up My Life" been promoted for what it was, a low-budget growing-up film with a quirky and effective performance by Didi Conn, it would be better regarded today. Rather than the minimalist promotion and distribution this type of film normally receives, for some reason the distributors decided that this little film had the potential to make big money.

So they threw more money into marketing than had gone into production, they pre-sold the film with a hit recording of the title song (sung by Debby Boone although Kacey Cisyk actually does the singing in the film) released concurrently with the film, and they utilized a saturation booking technique normally reserved for their weaker blockbusters. This technique involves a lot of pre-release publicity and then opening it simultaneously in many theatres, with the goal of generating quick profits before bad reviews and word of mouth kill attendance (although a common practice today this was done less often in the 1970's).

The result was a lot of viewers who rightly felt that the film did not live up to its blockbuster billing, and a failure to appreciate the good points of the film. And there are some good points. Conn's earnest portrayal of a reluctant juvenile comedienne and good daughter trying to work out her adult identity rings true. You feel a protectiveness toward her that makes you more tolerant of the cornball elements. The child star vs stage-father stuff with Joe Silver seems genuine and the surreal television commercial material has some good comic qualities.

Kacey Cisyk (a session singer who was opera trained) recorded the song for the film but initially declined to record it for commercial release. She may have felt that it had no potential or maybe she just didn't wanted to be closely associated with a pop standard. So they recruited Debby Boone and her version went to the radio stations and record stores. Cisyk actually appears in the film as one of the bridesmaids.

Ironically, although the song works fine within the film, it hurts the film's reputation. People incorrectly believe that the film was just a lame attempt to exploit a hit record and that Boone was unwilling to allow her own version to be used in the production.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Conn "Lights Up" tepid film!

[rosscinema · 5/10 · 15 August 2003]

This is of course the film version of Debby Boone's hit song and it comes across as a rather uninspired effort but two of the actors in it make it a watchable flawed film. Story is about an aspiring singer/songwriter and actress who makes ends meet by being a stand-up comedian mainly for children. Didi Conn is Laurie Robinson and even she admits that she's not very good at comedy but her father Sy (Joe Silver) has other ideas about her career. Laurie is days away from being married to Ken (Stephen Nathan) but one night in a restaurant she meets Chris (Michael Zaslow) who is instantly attracted to her. He takes her to his home and they get intimate. The next morning she tells him it was just a one night stand and doesn't want to see him again and she leaves. A few days later she goes in for an audition because a film crew needs an actress to dub in the stars singing voice. She walks in and finds out that the director of the film is Chris! She auditions with her song (You Light Up My Life) and everyone is very impressed. In fact, they want her to be the star of the film! A few days later Laurie thinks she is in love with Chris and she decides to tell Ken that she doesn't want to get married. But then the roof falls in and she discovers that she has not been cast in the film and she goes to confront Chris who is busy with other females! The main story and script are very familiar and corny and the film really has nothing to offer that we haven't seen already in other films. Aspiring singer that has to tell her father that she needs to go on her own and telling her boyfriend that she really doesn't love him. Its been done before but this is not a bad film and its because of Conn and Silver. I've always been a fan of Silver and his work with David Cronenberg springs to mind immediately. The core of the film is the performance of Didi Conn who always brings a fresh realistic quality to her roles. She's the girl that you instantly take a shine to. She has that innocent and vulnerable quality that makes you root for her no matter what film she's in. Its a very natural quality but she's also a very good actress and her scenes with Silver are the best in the film. These two genuinely care for each other and its reflected on screen. One thing I noticed during the film were the scenes of Conn driving that old car. I'm not sure if Conn can drive in real life but she looks kind of uncomfortable sitting behind the wheel. And of course the scenes of Conn singing are lip-synched. The singing voice bares no resemblance to Conn's voice at all. And Conn and Silver worked on another film together that same year. They both did voices in the animated "Raggedy Ann & Andy" so they had a busy year together. This is not a very good film but Conn brings an undeniable charm to every performance she gives.

You Meh Up My Life

[dmanyc · 5/10 · 1 November 2020]

Most of us that grew up in the 70s and 80s are the familiar with the song, You Light Up My Life. But was anyone familiar with the movie of the same name? Most people probably weren't, but I remember seeing it advertised in TV Guides and being kind of curious but never getting around to it. I recently found it in YouTube and checked it out.

I do remember hearing about Joseph Brooks (via 48 Hours), who committed suicide after several women accused him of casting couch rapes. Judging from the opening credits he was clearly ambitious. He was the writer, producer, director, songwriter, maybe even catering, I don't know. What I do know is that the movie is one big meh.

Laurie is a struggling actress, singer, and songwriter juggling numerous gigs. She's engaged to Ken, who just looks disinterested in the whole wedding process (can you blame him after seeing the bridesmaids and ushers dragging a giant clamshell down the aisle with Laurie and Ken in it during rehearsal?). Her father Si pushes her to be a comedian like him, but it's not her timing that's the problem (as Si insists), but that her heart just isn't in it.

She meets Cris at a restaurant when she's trying to make a phone call. He wants to spend time with Laurie, but she keeps saying no until she gives in. He still wants to see her, but she says it's just a one night stand. But they do run into each other later in the film when he's the director of a film and she's auditioning to dub the voice. In short, she dumps Ken (finally), she tells Si no more stand up comedy with a dummy and outdated jokes (finally), and gets her heart broken when Cris hires another woman for the movie (and is clearly sleeping with said woman). In the end, she hightails it to New York for a record contract, her future uncertain but a whole lot happier.

It's not a terrible film, but it's not high art either. The movie feels like a 70s time capsule, right down to the fashions. It's more like a Lifetime TV movie, not a theatrical release. The acting is passable (loved Didi Conn since Grease). It's nice that they cast actors that look like everyday people instead of people that look like they're posing for a magazine. The interactions between Laurie and the men in her life feels really dated, especially her interactions with Cris. Cris can't seem to take "NO" for an answer, and in the end treats Laurie like a discarded tissue after she doesn't get hired for the movie.

And the dubbing of Conn's voice is soooooo obvious. Conn has a cutsie speaking voice, but the singing voice (not by Debby Boone) sounds too professional. When Natalie Wood's singing voice was dubbed in West Side Story, it was seamless. Not so much here. If you want to hear Ms. Conn's actual singing voice, look up the animated movie Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure from 1977 (she's the voice of Ann) and you'll hear what I mean.

I'm glad I finally got to see the film after all these years. Just don't expect Oscar-caliber quality (despite the song winning the Oscar). It's just a nice little film to pass the time with.

Possibly the worst movie to ever receive some sort of Oscar

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 10 September 2017]

Young woman working for her low-rent showman father struggles to break out from his shadow and follow her heart as a singer-songwriter. Joseph Brooks, who composed, wrote, produced and directed the film, might have used some assistance. His picture has a drab, TV-movie look and feel, with an elongated emotional breakdown for our heroine which turns her from plucky imp to vulnerable girl victimized by too much love. Brooks stages a funny wedding rehearsal, and his placement of the Oscar-winning title tune (which he wrote, natch) in the recording studio gives it an emotional lift, but the final tag doesn't tell the whole story. Hasn't Brooks ever heard of the one-hit wonder? *1/2 from ****

One of the Worst Films I Have Ever Seen

[gftbiloxi · 1/10 · 17 May 2005]

Debbie Boone had a monster hit with her recording of the pop song "You Light Up My Life;" the Didi Conn film of the same name, however, was a horrifically embarrassing flop. Conn plays the stereotypically goofy-homely-vulnerable girl who is in love with Michael Zaslow, who plays the stereotypical yuppie-wannabe guy. They are engaged, but every one knows that Zaslow isn't going to marry any one that isn't blonde and built, so only Didi is surprised when he dumps her. Needless to say, Didi is quite embarrassed.

Fortunately, she has been doing a little songwriting in her spare time, and she's come up with a tune she thinks is pretty nifty. She calls it--can you guess?--"You Light Up My Life." She hops in the car and drives off to the big city to sell her song and make a new life. Now, I recall sitting in the theatre and watching her hop in the car to drive off to the big city, and thinking "Well thank heavens, we've finally got all the exposition out of the way. Now maybe something interesting will happen." And something interesting did happen. The credits rolled.

Yep, that was it. Not only was the movie badly acted, badly written, and badly filmed, it also ended in the middle. This movie is a really, profoundly bad movie, and we're not talking cult-movie-bad here. We're talking unmitigated flop, a real yawner from start to finish. If you liked the Debbie Boone song by all means buy a copy of it. But don't waste your time or money on this flick. This is one movie you'll be glad you missed.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

More of a Song than a Movie

[caspian1978 · 5/10 · 2 March 2005]

When we ask ourselves, what came first, the chicken or the egg, we look at the other question, what came first, this movie or it's hit song? Didi Conn is a good actress but far from an great actress. More like a field goal kicker, Didi can not run the ball into the end zone for a touch down. She is not a star player. Then again, she is worth a good three points and can add her talent to the (team) cast. For a lead actress, she does not have it. Although this is a movie focused on independent women, Didi can only do so much. The movie shows the 3 men in her life and how all three want something from her as oppose to offering something to her. For her "lip" singing, this adds nothing to her quality of acting. If Didi co-starred in this movie, she would have been nominated for an academy award. Instead, the only thing this movie is remembered for is the academy award for the best song. Nothing more.

Romantics will forgive its many flaws

[aromatic-2 · 7/10 · 13 March 2001]

Didi Conn really is wonderful in this, and her relationship with father Joe Silver is the reason to watch the film. And of course, the title song, which won an Oscar, is great the first time, good the second time, by the 5th time.... Yes, it is cliched, and at times, outright dumb, but the emotions and romantic view toward life and coming-of-age are timeless. Overall, I give it 7/10, and enjoy it every time I see it.

An entire movie thrown together to sing the most over-played song of the time

[jz-10 · 1/10 · 14 September 2004]

I remember this movie with feelings of sheer . . . agony. More than half of the film is commercials (no, really!). The slight excuse for a story could easily have been told in 25 minutes (and almost is!) The end result is a prefab love story of predictable schlock, all obviously thrown together in a crassly commercial attempt to wring a few more bucks from the contemporary Debbie Boone hit. Yep, that's how fast it was produced... the song that "inspired" it was still big on the charts when the film was released!

Despite decades of seeing bad movies, this one still impresses me for its extravagant, no-holds-barred, headlong jump into the most tedious, absurd, and indelible cinematic badness. It truly deserves to be on the IMDb list of the 100 worst of all time, and has never left the top 3 on my personal "worst" list.

Enjoy it for the sheer masochistic thrill!

What a great movie and song!

[mg1029 · 7/10 · 30 December 2005]

I give this movie 7 of 10 stars, but that is by standards today...in 2005. I saw this movie when I was a kid and it really impressed upon me that I could follow dreams and succeed...and I have. I am a straight heterosexual male, married and two children, but I still get choked up over the song.

Didi Conn is totally believable lip synching with the orchestra and she feels the song. I cannot even impress upon you the movement that this had in the movie...the turning point if you will...the ugly duckling bursting into a swan.

Here is what is baffling...why Debbie Boone? The original singer of the song was Casey Cisyk who also had a part in the movie (bridesmaid). Her voice seemed to PUNCH through more...she was Laurie's voice. To this day I cannot find the original voice recording by Casey and now that she has died of breast cancer...her best work lives on...on screen.

Peace!

She's not a second banana comedian

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 21 March 2014]

When you come right down to it You Light Up My Life has one silly plot premise. Young Didi Conn is the daughter of second rate comedian Joe Silver who after living with this girl into her adulthood can't get it into his head that the young woman is not a second banana comedian. But he makes her wear a clown outfit, gives her a ventriloquist dummy and says with his tutelage she'll be funny.

Now he has to have heard her sing and heard her sing the songs she herself composed. Conn decides to spread her wings and fly, but in the process she loses Stephen Nathan the guy she was going to marry and finds out that producer Michael Zaslow whom she had a fling with is a rat. What the story is about is how Conn decides to deal with all those heartaches. And you're not sure she can because she is a fragile thing.

One of those songs that she wrote is the title song which was a mega-hit for Debbie Boone in 1977 and responsible for the film getting an Oscar for Best Song. The song really makes the film even though Conn only lipsynches the part.

Try as I might I could not wrap my mind around the fact the Silver legacy in show business had to be perpetuated by Conn the Clown and that a professional couldn't recognize talent. In the same situation in Ziegfeld Girl, Judy Garland was a second banana to her father Charles Winninger, but he saw what he was holding back. You're not sure that Silver ever does.

On the plus side Didi Conn is a touching figure and gives a wonderful performance as an eager show business hopeful. For her and for the song you should see the movie.

Tops on my list

[raframos3 · 10/10 · 27 October 2005]

A simple story, a great song and an excellent lesson about life. Laurie Robinson ( played to a tee by Didi Conn ) is the child of an entertainer. Her father ( Joe Silver ) is grooming her to follow in his footsteps. However, Laurie's heart and talent is in her music and she finds it her " love ". This is a story of disappointment and overcoming the numerous letdowns we face in life and the one person we can rely on is ourselves and also to like ourselves because if we give in to failures in our lives, we have failed. The title song was schmaltzy at the start but as time goes on, it professes hope and an inspiration. A melody that reaches the core of my heart and will stand as one of most beloved songs of my life

A perfect late 70s time capsule getaway!

[blandiovision-432-271942 · 7/10 · 3 August 2020]

Was just a little kid back in the 70s, but, boy, compared to the depressive and limited doldrums of this year, 2020, what a free spirited and special time it was.

Even I remember this song being played EVERYWHERE and anywhere: radios, cars, family gatherings, TV spots etc. So much so that I find it strange that we hardly hear it today unless we are playing it from our personal collection or looking for it online etc. I mean this was literally THE biggest hit of 1977, and definitely in the top ten for the entire decade. If we are constantly hearing The BeeGees or Donna Summer, why not this?

That very question is what prompted me to watch the film on YouTube. I do remember seeing it on TV in the 80s sometime. I wasn't expecting much and that's probably why I really enjoyed it! The song-and the album if the same name that exploded for Debbie Boone-is special to me as it makes me remember my late mother and aunts and the late 70s childhood I had. But...however cliche, the film is more than a movie capitalizing on a monster hit song, which I assumed it would be. It is really moving at times and Didi Conn does a fabulous job of getting us to feel her experiences which range from frustrating to hilarious. The relationship with her dad also feels very genuine. It really takes us back to a time that most took for granted how good of a life it was. It you are in the mood for some nostalgia escapism--this is a perfect fix.

Film forgotten, song lingers on...Unfortunately.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 30 December 2020]

Ask anybody what Academy Award Winning song they got sick of after hearing it over and over, and they'll probably say "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic". But ask anybody that question for film songs written before that Celine Dion smash hit and any one over the age of 50 will say "You Light Up My Life". Ask them about the movie, and they won't remember a thing about it. Didi Conn, who has gone down in film immortality as Frenchie in "Grease", had a rare lead in this sweet but cumbersome movie, and while she's talented and charming, the dubbing for her here by Kacey Cisyk (not Debbie Boone who had the hit single and sang it on the Academy Awards) does not fit either her personality or her squeaky speaking voice.

The loveable Didi is the daughter of a vaudevillian (Joe Silver), still going even though vaudeville has allegedly been dead forever. He still gets work somehow as an Edgar Bergen like comic, not really very funny, and it's sad to see Conn sitting on his lap as if she was Charlie McCarthy or Mortimer Snerd. What Conn really wants to do is break into the music business, and when she sings (through the dubbing), she seems to have what it takes. A dashing director ("Guiding Light's" Michael Zaslow, then on a break from the soap as the villainous Roger Thorpe) takes an interest in her, but his motivations don't really seem all sincere. They are an interesting example of mismatched pairing, but thanks to the charm of Didi Conn, it appears to have a chance.

This is one of those quickly forgotten films that has pleasant but mostly forgettable songs by Joseph Brooks (who also wrote, directed and acts in the film), although one outside the legendary title song ("The Morning Of My Life") did have potential. Between the dated comedy, sappiness of the theme and the odd pairing of Conn and Zaslow and hamminess of Joe Silver (no relation to Phil Silvers even with a slight resemblance), this seems to have been out of place in a movie year that had "Annie Hall", "Goodbye Girl" and "Fun With Dick & Jane" for light romantic comedies that have stood the test of time and big blockbusters like "Rollercoaster" and especially "Star Wars". By the time of the big build up to Conn's lip-syncing the lyrics to the title song in the conclusion, you are well ready for it to end.

I can't decide if this movie is awful or terrible!

[Rob-120 · 3/10 · 26 February 2022]

After I watched the movie "You Light Up My Life," I sort of have mixed feelings about it. I can't decide if it's awful or terrible. I'm leaning more towards "awful," but there are parts of the movie that are "terrible" as well.

In "You Light Up My Life," Didi Conn plays Laurie Robinson, a young woman trying to make it in show business. She spends her days driving around Los Angeles in a 1960s convertible, acting in various odd TV commercials, and appearing in her father's TV show for kids. Her father, Sy Robinson (Joe Silver), is a Z-grade borscht-belt comedian who is totally clueless about the fact that he just isn't funny!

At the beginning of the movie, we see Laurie as a child, doing a stage act where she sits on a stool, holding a ventriloquist dummy, making unfunny jokes to a barely-laughing audience. (It's NOT a ventriloquist act - Laurie isn't "throwing her voice." She's just sitting there HOLDING the ventriloquist dummy, for some unexplained reason!)

As an adult, Laurie is STILL doing this lame comedy act, except now she's doing it before an audience of little kids, who only sit and stare at her in total confusion, not laughing at all! (These scenes are painful to watch!) Laurie tries to tell her father that the act isn't funny, but he refuses to listen to her, stupidly insisting, "It's all about timing."

One night at a bar, Laurie is almost literally "picked up" by Chris Nolan (Michael Zaslow), a curly-haired Lothario in a loud 1970's shirt with a wide collar. (He puts his arm around her and refuses to let her go while he's talking on a pay phone. If you know the history of the director, Joseph Brooks, you know how creepy this is.)

Chris takes her back to his apartment. The next morning, when he asks her to stay, she tells him she has to go to a wedding rehearsal.

"Whose wedding is it?" Chris asks.

"Mine," says Laurie.

Yes, Laurie just had a one-night stand, right before her own wedding! This is a shock not only to Chris, but to the audience as well. At this point, we're 20 minutes into the movie, and this is the first time that Laurie has even mentioned that she's engaged!

We meet her fiancé, Ken Rothenberg (Stephen Nathan), a self-absorbed tennis pro, who doesn't support Laurie's show business dreams, and peppers her with put-downs. It's never made clear why Laurie hooked up with this jerk, or why she is marrying him.

The wedding rehearsal scene is one of the few good scenes in the movie. At the wedding chapel, an idiotic wedding planner has two rows of bridesmaids and groom attendants pull a giant white clam shell on wheels down the aisle. The giant clam shell opens up - and Laurie and Ken emerge from inside it. Ken is humiliated by the whole thing, but Laurie's father, Sy Robinson, insists that everything at the wedding is going to be great!

I thought the wedding rehearsal scene was funny - but it didn't go far enough! If Laurie and Ken had gotten STUCK inside the giant clam shell, now THAT would have been HILARIOUS! ("Press the button, Ken! It opens the clam shell." "I AM pressing it, Laurie, but it's not working! Somebody get us out of here!")

Another funny scene worth mentioning is when Laurie and two other actresses are filming a commercial for frozen waffles, dressed in old-fashioned "farm housewife" outfits. The three actresses are placed in front of an American flag, and told by an oafish director how to sing the waffles jingle. "Sing it down on your knees, like Al Jolson." (I've heard actors like Morgan Freeman complain that they actually had to do silly commercials like this one when they were just starting out!)

A few days later, Laurie goes to audition for a musical film - and wouldn't you know it, her one-night stand Chris Nolan is the director! (A director named Chris Nolan? Yeah, right! Like that would ever happen!)

Laurie decides to sing him a song that she's written, "You Light Up My Life." As soon as she starts to "sing," you know right away that Didi Conn is just lip-synching the words, and her singing voice is being dubbed. Laurie's "highly-trained Broadway-caliber singing voice" does not match with Didi Conn's mousy, barely-audible, Brooklyn-accented speaking voice. (Ukrainian singer Kasey Cisyk did the dubbing, and sued Joseph Brooks when she wasn't credited in the movie.)

Throughout the movie, Laurie is so shy and soft-spoken and apologetic that even when she's being handed her "Golden Opportunity on a Silver Platter," she's still begging off! At the audition where she sings her song, when Chris is insisting that she sing, she keeps telling the orchestra conductor, "Oh, we don't have to do this now, if you don't want to!" (I was almost shouting at her, "Shut up and SING, you idiot!")

Laurie is such a major wimpette that you get the feeling a girl like this would never make it in cut-throat Hollywood! And if she did make it, she wouldn't be very happy. She seems to stay in show business because it's the only life she's ever known.

In "Grease," Frankie Avalon told Didi Conn, "You've got the dream, but not the drive." In "You Light Up My Life," Laurie has the opposite problem. She's got the drive, but not the dream. And that makes this movie awful and terrible to sit through!

Maybe the worst movie ever made

[jtemple82 · 1/10 · 20 October 2012]

Staring the talentless, no-hit wonder, DoDo Conn, who lip-synced her way into oblivion in this movie.

A poorly written, unbelievably bad script, that it so obviously playing off advertising executives ideas of what Women's minds and romance is supposed to be.

For females only, with IQ levels lover than their breast waist size.

Perpetuates a degrading image of women and women's fantasy's.

Rated as one of the 100 worst movies of all time.

I hope you do know that DoDo Conn cannot sing a lick and song nothing in the movie ?

It was popular in its day with lonely women who felt the fantasy was "romantic".

Sweet 70's chick flick with a little grit & a lot of heart.

[doubleplusgd · 5/10 · 11 January 2015]

I didn't want to like this movie but was drawn in by its goofy charm. It's a veritable treasure trove of 70's cars, clothes, hair, coffee mugs, interior decor, you name it. The dotted swiss maxidresses in the waffle ad alone are pure concentrated midcentury goodness. Despite the brouhaha about the movie's titular song, my favorite one was actually "Do You Have A Piano," which is short, endearing and peppy with great harmonies. Too bad they didn't use it for the opening credits instead of the momentum-draining "California Daydreams".

Didi Conn is fine in the role of the young Hollywood hopeful, and easy to like with her wide-eyed fresh faced earnestness, though I think that Melanie Mayron, who plays her bff Annie Gerard, delivers a more subtle and natural performance than Conn, who has a broader, more musical theater or sitcom style.

The girl's conflicts with her father are certainly valid, but why would anyone think that the same few 20-year-old jokes could be funny in a comedy act, or that ventriloquism isn't annoying enough in itself? I did like the scene after her onstage meltdown when she says she just learned something very painful but important- that you can only really depend on yourself, and that it's no shame to be alone, in fact it's a necessary part of growing up. (I'm still struggling with that one myself!) Odd that the title song, which plays at the end as she embarks on her new life has the exact opposite meaning: "You give me strength to carry on" ...right after she realizes that strength must come from within.

The production values are what I think really crippled this movie. You can barely hear the actors' voices in crowd scenes, actors are inexplicably shot in profile while speaking, so you can't see their faces, Conn looks oddly hunchbacked in her driving scenes, and the exposition before the credits has the amaterurish feeling of a student project. I can see why audiences were disappointed after the huge media blitz it received. You would be, if you expected a high budget blockbuster instead of a slightly awkward little coming of age story with a few catchy pop songs. Too bad the producers didn't have enough faith in the movie to let it stand on its own, but that's Hollywood. Ironic that a running theme in this pic is the misguided fakeness of ad campaigns.

Still, I found it to be an enjoyable 2 hr time capsule with decent performances, a plucky underdog lead character and a touching scene or two. I liked Conn's faint Brooklyn accent and the natural prettiness of the actresses at a time when young women were allowed to look like actual human beings on film and not perfect little plastic dolls. I'll take awkward but earnest over slick and shallow anytime!

A Sincere Effort With A Choppy Plot...

[Blooeyz2001 · 6/10 · 22 August 2005]

Here is a coming-of-age film that embodies everything 70's. It especially appeals to me because I was born in 1960 & was a teenager in the 1970's. If a teen watches this film today it would seem hokey, the cloths especially odd & unattractive, the music sappy, & the storyline threadbare. But if you were there, it has a special nostalgic quality that is undeniable. This is an interesting story about a young woman finding herself & her way through life. Instead of padding the story out with too many unnecessary shots of Conn driving her car, they should have fleshed out the characters a little more. The storyline was also choppy. One minute she's told she has a major part in a film & the next minute a deadpan blonde is hired instead. This sudden shift in the story is too abrupt a transition. Also, when she tells her dad about the offer from Columbia Records to record her songs, it came out of left field. (Perhaps this should have been something her character struggled with. Should she stay in California & contemplate making the film & starting a new a relationship, or go to New York & record?) DiDi Conn is very likable in the lead & the music adds just the right romantic touch.

Song 10, Movie 4

[SanDiego · 25 February 2004]

Soap-opera style story about one girl (Didi Conn) pushed into show business (stand-up comedy) by her stand-up comic father and trying to make it into show-biz (acting, singing, anything). There is romance and the title song 'You Light Up My Life.' The song is a major plot device much like Bette Midler's 'Wings Beneath My Wings' is for BEACHES. Debbie Boone's rendition of the song was second only to Bing Crosby's White Christmas as the most popular single in history due in part to listeners attaching a spiritual tone to the lyrics (led by Christian radio stations and the fact that Debbie Boone was part of the Pat Boone family). Debbie Boone was singing the song on every talk and variety show on TV, she was very attractive, very wholesome (once again, Pat Boone's daughter) and TV loved her. This helped bring people into the theaters to see the movie, in fact, was the only reason why people went to see the movie. Debbie Boone was not in the film, nor was her voice. This was very disappointing to most people. Didi Conn (mostly known at the time for wacky characters on TV sitcoms not unlike her GREASE character) didn't sing the song in the film (though she sort of sang in GREASE). If only they had cast Debbie Boone. The song is a classic, the film, alas, is not. WHITE CHRISTMAS (song: 10, movie: 10), BEACHES (song: 10, movie: 7), GREASE (song: 8, movie: 9), YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE (song: 10, movie: 4).

Thank The Lord I Only Saw the Trailer - 500 Times on the Boooooob Tube

[wolfen244 · 1/10 · 19 March 2020]

The trailer for this awful "movie" was enough for me. Judging from the reviews of this movie my gray matter has been spared from seeping outta my ears from sheer horror. That trailer of Didi Conn trying to let some guy down was bizarre with that super stupid song in the background that I hope I never hear again. Terrible movie, terribler trailer and pukified song to build an entire movie around. p.u.

I remember

[mslilrose-1 · 7/10 · 14 February 2021]

I saw the film when it was first released, in 1977, I believe. I haven't seen it in 44 years, but I'll never forget the climax when the character, played by Didi Conn(French in Grease) sings "You Light Up My Life" with a full orchestra, and she did a wonderful job of showing how unbelievable a moment it was for her. And it gave me goosebumps too. I would love to see the movie again, just for that scene.

Sweet song

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 9 June 2015]

This is a slight, lukewarm tale of breaking out in the big bad world of show business. Didi Conn, more famous for her role in Grease is sweet and vulnerable as Laurie, a daughter of a Vaudeville comedian (Joe Silver) and they have been performing on stage since she was a kid. Laurie never enjoyed comedy and she is really not that good at it and somehow her father has never noticed that she lacks funny bones. Laurie does have a talent for singing and songwriting and decides to breakout on her own.

She also realises that she may not love her boyfriend and then has a one night stand with a man who turns out to be a movie director who promises her a part in a film after she dubs the singing voice of the star. It turns out that the director was just using her and made empty promises.

Its a corny, independent film of 1970s cinema. Conn is sweet and she has a good rapport with Joe Silver who plays her father. She drives around in a beat up car. The title track is familiar because it was a big hit but the film has been largely forgotten.

It has to be noted that director Joseph Brooks in later life was charged for casting couch rapes. I wonder if the shallow yet sleazy director was based on himself!

OK, I'm a hopeless romantic, I admit it

[rbsjrx · 7/10 · 27 May 2007]

Yes, the song is catchy, but hardly great. Yes, the plot is pure soap opera. But Didi Conn delivers a great performance. With anyone else, this film might have deserved all of the scorn heaped upon it. But Conn's earnest likability really sells it. The supporting cast is good, but it's Conn's show. It's a pity she's just so nice - if she were trashier and more traditionally attractive, she could have a much bigger career. As some others have said, the award winning title song is also good the first few times around, but gets a little tiresome after a while. But the movie is one I can watch over and over (well, at least several times a year) and still enjoy.

For anyone who's also a romantic and prefers films with heart to those with an edge, it's a must see.

No Debby Boone

[rbrtfourie · 5/10 · 20 August 2020]

I missed an opportunity to see this movie, way back in 1978. Recently I got to see it. The first thing that surprised me - there was no Debby Boone. I always associated her with the movie. That apart, the movie is light weight, enjoyable entertainment. Basically it is the story of a young woman finding her dependence and breaking out of her fathers shadow. It reminded me of the movie "Valdez horses" aka as "Chino", with Charles Bronson. Nothing dramatic happens and it does not build up to any crescendo. Overall, it is recommendable and pleasant to watch and suitable for all ages. Robert

This explains everything!

[audreytrauner · 7/10 · 7 June 2021]

When Debby Boone won for best song for "You Light Up My Life" all of us that were coming of age at that time were disgusted. When you hear this song in the movie, which came BEFORE she recorded that song (never to be heard of again in any substantial way- don't forget all of the timeless, talented artists she beat out) it's a good song in the movie. The movie isn't perfect, but Didi Conn and Joe Silver, along with all of the realistic sappy stuff of that era are wonderful! Debby Boone, taking that song? Still a sham.

Why Think? Just Hate it!

[quizzyroy · 6/10 · 15 January 2015]

The critical reception to this movie is a classic example of bandwagoning. Everyone (including the previous reviewer) mistakenly believes it was thrown together after the crappy hit of the same name, which is absolutely not true.

Conn is excellent, Joe Silver is top-notch as her father, and much of the dialogue is genuine and funny. This movie is thoughtfully understated (90% of it at least) in a way that more than makes up for a little bit of bad acting in the supporting cast and too much sentimentality in its waning moments.

Really, there is just one thing that taints it horribly. I don't think this is a spoiler, but watch out for that last scene. She actually says "you know, I learned something today..." I'm not sure how Brooks wrote all the good stuff before that and somehow couldn't help but ladle on the molasses in the closing seconds, but to me it's not sufficiently cloying to taint the whole product.

Mostly, the story is just one of a sweet, honest and talented woman trying to find her show-biz sea legs on a ship full of (male, LA) phonies.

It's kinda like how Heaven's Gate is the worst movie ever made, unless you actually watch it (the version before the studio butchered it, that is). One well-publicized critical panning of a film can sometimes spark a rabble. People go into it already convinced, and just can't wait to start laughing at it. And thus the prophecy is fulfilled; "WORST MOVIE EVER!"

This movie is GOOD, which apparently makes everyone else stupid except for me. I'm okay with that, I think.