The Blue Lagoon

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The Blue Lagoon

R

Released Jul 4, 1980

1h 44m

Romance

Drama

Adventure

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12%

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26 Reviews

53%

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50,000+ Ratings

Seven-year-old cousins Emmeline (Elva Josephson) and Richard (Glenn Kohan) survive a shipwreck and find themselves marooned on a beautiful island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Under the tutelage of a fellow castaway, Paddy Button (Leo McKern), the two learn the basics of survival. When Paddy dies, however, the now adolescent Emmeline (Brooke Shields) and Richard (Christopher Atkins) are on their own to discover sex, love and loneliness in a tropical paradise.

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Critics Consensus

A piece of lovely dreck, The Blue Lagoon is a naughty fantasy that's also too chaste to be truly entertaining.

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Michael Blowen

Boston Globe

The Blue Lagoon is closer to Robinson Crusoe Goes Club Med than to its original source. It's a fantasy island conceived at poolside in Beverly Hills and executed by tourists to the Fiji Islands. Shallow water, indeed.

Apr 28, 2018

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Judith Martin

Washington Post

There have come to be certain conventions of the genre, and it's an annoyance that The Blue Lagoon keeps violating them.

Feb 6, 2018

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

"The Blue Lagoon" is a plump sitting duck, waiting to be roasted by sarcastic spectators.

Oct 17, 2017

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Larry Wegner

OUT FRONT Magazine (Denver)

The Blue Lagoon is a lovely story, but even more, it's a story about love.

May 8, 2023

Full Review

Ginger Varney

L.A. Weekly

Yes, the cinematography by Nestor Alamendros leaves you breathless, but the content makes your kids the same old stupid.

Jan 4, 2021

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

There's a goofiness surrounding the whole ordeal, primarily due to the scripting and acting; the dialogue is mediocre and the performances aren't terribly convincing.

Rated: 5/10

Aug 31, 2020

Full Review

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Daniel C. M

A movie i will defend to death. Short, fun, heartbreaking and heartwarming at times. A tale of the purest form of love there is.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/30/25

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Liam S

Personally I loved the 20-30 minutes of the movie it was so fun the watch I always liked the idea of they got stuck in a deserted island when their boat sank but after that the movie cuts to years later when they are adults the movie gets so boring it's nails on a chalkboard and the characters are that stupid they should have known to just put out the fire by using a bucket but when they reach the island they build a hut and try to survive i like that part of the movie a lot but they should have just take the boat and just find a ship to get rescued but nope they stay there and the Captain Paddy just dies for some reason and then they take the boat to another island and just stay there and then years go by when they are adults and then it just becomes so bad and they made a sequel that's even more shitter this movie its awful personally I think this movie should be a short film i give this film a only 3 out of 10 that means i give this film the Johnthebluehatguy seal of garbage sorry you are not going to San Fransisco.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/13/25

Full Review

Filippos S

Classic film with some beauty.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/25

Full Review

Stephanie M

I think there is way too much nudity for people who look like their 14 years old and the ending is a bit dull.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

Isabella P

A lot of people are missing the point of the movie. It says it right there on the poster it is a story about love how nature intended it to be. It's simple and shows the beauty of just living which I for one really enjoyed.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

Full Review

Penelope A

Why are more people not talking about the nudity of the underage actors.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/06/25

Full Review

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Randal Kleiser

Director

Brooke Shields

Emmeline

Christopher Atkins

Richard

Leo McKern

Paddy Button

William Daniels

Arthur Lestrange

Elva Josephson

Young Emmeline

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Trouble

2:13

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Lovers

2:09

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Saved

2:26

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Sticky Kiss

2:05

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Hootchie Cootchie

2:10

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Funny Thoughts

2:13

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - You're Bleeding!

1:43

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Not in the Mood

2:08

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Synopsis

Seven-year-old cousins Emmeline (Elva Josephson) and Richard (Glenn Kohan) survive a shipwreck and find themselves marooned on a beautiful island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Under the tutelage of a fellow castaway, Paddy Button (Leo McKern), the two learn the basics of survival. When Paddy dies, however, the now adolescent Emmeline (Brooke Shields) and Richard (Christopher Atkins) are on their own to discover sex, love and loneliness in a tropical paradise.

Director: Randal Kleiser
Producer: Randal Kleiser
Screenwriter: Douglas Day Stewart, Henry DeVere Stacpoole
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Drama, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 4, 1980, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 14, 2010
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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