[.ca] You Light Up My Life (Widescreen/Full Screen)

An excellent movie to keep for a long time:
Believe it or not, I watched this DVD yesterday and it was my first time watching it ever. Obviously, what had drawn me to the movie was the title track "you light up my life". The movie itself was an inspiration as well. I must agree with the write up from the viewer below that the primary audience for this DVD is for the young adults who try to make it through life. Let's just say that if you are 25 year old and have the talent of Laurie Robinson to write a song, and sing it with the finest musicians in L.A in their rehearsal room and received a big applause from them, you are somebody. I am a musician myself, and I have played with some of the big orchestras at the age of 19 - 25, so I can really relate to this movie. The scene with the conductor and Laurie discussing the 3/4 times and the violins up an octave are as real as it can be. The tune itself is fairly simple, so it was conceivable that someone like Laurie can actually came up with it. As far as the acting is concern, not all the casts were bad. I thought Didi Conn did a great job, so is her pop, the conductor, and Laurie's lover Michael Zaslow. By the way, I always had the album by Debby Boone, and always thought that Debby Boone sang in the movie. Then one day, I found the original vinyl LP soundtrack in my local Goodwill store for 50 cents, and I was totally shock! The title track in the record was 100% better then the Debby Boone version, and it was not sang by Debby Boone. It was sung by Kasey Cysik, One of New York's top session singers at the time. Here is what Debby Boone had to say about Kacey: "Joe Brooks wrote a screenplay and hired Kacey Cisyk to sing five songs for the soundtrack, including the title theme. Later, Kacey claimed she was never paid for that recording session, and her name did not appear in the movie credits. When the soundtrack album came out, her name was misspelled and she was listed as a "background singer." Kacey Cisyk is the reason I purchased the DVD. She actually had a small part in the movie. She played the 1st Bridesmaid, and you can actually see her recording with Didi Conn in Chapter 3 of your DVD. She said to Didi Conn after the song Do you have a Piano: that was a really good song, and Didi Conn replies: Thanks Casey. Then you also will see Kacey sat in the studio while Didi Conn talks to Si (your pop in the movie) on the phone. Anyhow, after watching the DVD, my vinyl LP version is still the best of the best, Kacey's voice dominates through out the record. They must have recorded the long version in the soundtrack in a latter session just for the record. By the way, Kacey was married to Jack Cortner (Song writter) and later married to Ed Rakowicz (sound man). Sadly, Kacey recently died of Cancer 5 days before her 45th birthday. Enjoy the DVD and the vinyl LP if you can get it.

Simple plot, simple story- but timeless life lesson:
I remember going to the theatre to see this film during the summer of '77. No, it's not of a "Meryl Streep/Oscar winning" level in production or acting. If it were, the true power of this film would have been lost. Some of the critical reviews are overlooking the lesson this movie delivered. The movie is about believing in yourself despite obstacles, "sudden punches," and quick turns life can give hand out. It's about staying true to your chosen course and the power and belief in one's self because of the support and belief others have in you. I remember walking out of the film more affected than I thought I would be due to the last scene of the movie with Didi Conn's affecting performance and some her last lines: "I learned something today, Pop. It was really painful, but I learned something. I learned that I have to depend on myself. I can't depend on anybody else and that's ok. You know why? Because I'm a really good person to depend on. Maybe I don't have someone that I thought I loved a lot really, but that's ok because I've got me. And I've got my work. And I've got my music. And I love that- more than anything else on this earth." I was 25 and at the beginning of making my life choices in career, living on my own, and all the other "adult responsibilites" that come at you in that time in your life whether you're ready or not. I think that's why this film had the impact on me that it did. Maybe if some of the other reviewers- and people who watch this film- look back at that phase in their lives and evaluate the film again in comparison to their 20-something "coming into the real world" experiences, they may modify their original opinions as to the movie's quality. Yes, I think the film ended a bit abruptly. It would have been a bit of a happy, selfish, enjoyable pleasure to see Laurie Robinson revel in her success because of her perseverance and hard work. At least the viewer was left with the fact that she did become a winner. Everyone needs "happy ending" movies every once in awhile! I am now going to put this DVD in my player and watch this movie I haven't seen in 26 years just so I can see Ms. Conn's ending performance/scene that has stayed with me all this time and hope it still has the same positive power and impression....

It's not THAT bad...:
I saw this movie when I was about 11 or 12 and I LOVED it--it was a very sensitive, sentimental story of a woman becoming independent, and it had my favorite song at the time in it--the kind of movie that was made for a sensitive girl like me--what more could I ask for? I recently saw it again (very surprised to see it on DVD!), expecting it to be really bad, but it was pretty good! Sure it has aged a bit, but it's certainly no worse than a lot of other 1970s melodramas. Didi Conn is a good actress! I think it's amazing that Joseph Brooks wrote, directed, produced, acts in (small part) this movie PLUS wrote, arranged and conducted all the music! He should get props for that. A very nice memento of the small character films of the 70s.

Train wreck:
We love this movie only because you can make so much fun of it during the entire film. Not really sure what the true plot of the movie is? Truly can say that we do not root for the Didi Conn character at all during the movie or do we feel the warm fuzzies that others express. Her ruthless abandonment of her father at the end of the movie goes against all of morality she tried to uphold during the movie. Best parts of the film: The Neptune Wedding Chapel, Didi Conn being picked up in a bar with the worst one-liners ever, watching her flat hair become even flatter during each scene, her feeble attempt to lip-sync to the song "You Light up my Life" and the one after another disastrous 70's wardrobe outfits. This movie also leaves you with a lot of questions: If the film is based in LA then why does everyone talk with a New York accent? Why does she not take better care of her classic Thunderbird? Why was there not a "Light Up my Life 2" made so all the unanswered plots of the end of this movie could be answered?

An excellent movie to keep for a long time:
Believe it or not, I watched this DVD yesterday and it was my first time watching it ever. Obviously, what had drawn me to the movie was the title track "you light up my life". The movie itself was an inspiration as well. I must agree with the write up from the viewer below that the primary audience for this DVD is for the young adults who try to make it through life. Let's just say that if you are 25 year old and have the talent of Laurie Robinson to write a song, and sing it with the finest musicians in L.A in their rehearsal room and received a big applause from them, you are somebody. I am a musician myself, and I have played with some of the big orchestras at the age of 19 - 25, so I can really relate to this movie. The scene with the conductor and Laurie discussing the 3/4 times and the violins up an octave are as real as it can be. The tune itself is fairly simple, so it was conceivable that someone like Laurie can actually came up with it. As far as the acting is concern, not all the casts were bad. I thought Didi Conn did a great job, so is her pop, the conductor, and Laurie's lover Michael Zaslow. By the way, I always had the album by Debby Boone, and always thought that Debby Boone sang in the movie. Then one day, I found the original vinyl LP soundtrack in my local Goodwill store for 50 cents, and I was totally shock! The title track in the record was 100% better then the Debby Boone version, and it was not sang by Debby Boone. It was sung by Kasey Cysik, One of New York's top session singers at the time. Here is what Debby Boone had to say about Kacey: "Joe Brooks wrote a screenplay and hired Kacey Cisyk to sing five songs for the soundtrack, including the title theme. Later, Kacey claimed she was never paid for that recording session, and her name did not appear in the movie credits. When the soundtrack album came out, her name was misspelled and she was listed as a "background singer." Kacey Cisyk is the reason I purchased the DVD. She actually had a small part in the movie. She played the 1st Bridesmaid, and you can actually see her recording with Didi Conn in Chapter 3 of your DVD. She said to Didi Conn after the song Do you have a Piano: that was a really good song, and Didi Conn replies: Thanks Casey. Then you also will see Kacey sat in the studio while Didi Conn talks to Si (your pop in the movie) on the phone. Anyhow, after watching the DVD, my vinyl LP version is still the best of the best, Kacey's voice dominates through out the record. They must have recorded the long version in the soundtrack in a latter session just for the record. By the way, Kacey was married to Jack Cortner (Song writter) and later married to Ed Rakowicz (sound man). Sadly, Kacey recently died of Cancer 5 days before her 45th birthday. Enjoy the DVD and the vinyl LP if you can get it.