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The Blue Lagoon

Play trailer Poster for The Blue Lagoon R 1980 1h 44m Romance Drama Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
12% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 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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The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon

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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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Critics Reviews

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Michael Blowen Boston Globe Apr 28, 2018
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. Go to Full Review Judith Martin Washington Post Feb 6, 2018
There have come to be certain conventions of the genre, and it's an annoyance that The Blue Lagoon keeps violating them. Go to Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post Oct 17, 2017
"The Blue Lagoon" is a plump sitting duck, waiting to be roasted by sarcastic spectators. Go to Full Review Larry Wegner OUT FRONT Magazine (Denver) May 8, 2023
The Blue Lagoon is a lovely story, but even more, it's a story about love. Go to Full Review Ginger Varney L.A. Weekly Jan 4, 2021
Yes, the cinematography by Nestor Alamendros leaves you breathless, but the content makes your kids the same old stupid. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Aug 31, 2020
5/10
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Big Loc T @RT55963344 Sep 22, 2026 I made an account just to write this review. This movie makes absolutely no sense at all. If I was the one on that island I would've gone out like Button than to ever exist in that kind of movie world. If I had a choice to watch Shark Tale or this movie for the rest of eternity I'd always and happily watch Shark Tale than this kind of insult to even think of this as a movie. See more dont W @bgrishappy Sep 21, 2026 Not worth a watch. Maybe watch if you are really bored with access to no other movies. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 6, 2026 Not a very good movie! See more Kimberly L. @RT04359972 Jun 1, 2026 From a filmmakers point of view you can see how impactful the simple script is. The story line is complete with subtle cues that our modern world usually taught us and there small young minds had to grow up essentially with the knowledge of an 11 year old. Its a simple yet impactful masterpiece. See more Animal K @AnimalKing Apr 26, 2026 Basically 80s equivalent of "Cuties" This film is pretentious trash, yet some call it a masterpiece. It presents a "love story" mirroring a twisted Adam and Eve retelling, where characters enter the "real world" only after consuming forbidden fruit. It feels like a fetish story involving cousins trapped on an island who don't understand the consequences of sex. The film disturbingly treats attempted non-consensual encounters as acceptable. Furthermore, the unnecessary, racist depiction of natives adds nothing to the plot, as they never even interact with the leads. Challenging societal norms in unrealistic scenarios doesn't make this "art"; the metaphors are shallow and lack payoff. Its theatrical success likely stemmed from a pre-internet era when viewers couldn't easily access such fantasies elsewhere. See more Marti M @Goodmom4 Feb 10, 2026 I was in my 20's when this movie came out. People loved it, and I guess the nudity wasn't a big deal. We assumed that Shields used a body double, which was true. Atkins was 18 and has said that he was comfortable with it. We were focused on the story and they did a great job. See more Read all reviews
The Blue Lagoon

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Cast & Crew

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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

Movie Clips

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The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Trouble The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Trouble 2:13 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Lovers The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Lovers 2:09 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Saved The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Saved 2:26 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Sticky Kiss The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Sticky Kiss 2:05 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Hootchie Cootchie The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Hootchie Cootchie 2:10 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Funny Thoughts The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Funny Thoughts 2:13 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - You're Bleeding! The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - You're Bleeding! 1:43 Now Playing The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Not in the Mood The Blue Lagoon: Official Clip - Not in the Mood 2:08 Now Playing View more videos

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The Blue Lagoon

A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." A scene from the film "The Blue Lagoon." View more photos

Movie Info

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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