History YMMV / TheBlueLagoon

* MainstreamObscurity: Despite inspiring three screen adaptations and a stage rendition, remains unfairly obscure beyond devoted literary circles. The enchanting tale of survival, innocence, and love unfolds on a remote Pacific island where young protagonists Dick and Emmeline forge an unbreakable bond. While the screen adaptations and stage rendition attempted to immortalize the story, they struggled to achieve widespread recognition. Nevertheless, the novel's profound impact on readers endures, making it an enduring testament to the power of storytelling and the human spirit, awaiting discovery and appreciation by future generations beyond the confines of literary circles.

* HarsherInHindsight: When the movie was being produced, director Randall Kleiser marveled at how Brooke Shields was "going from a child to a woman" right in front of the cameras. In the 2023 documentary ''Pretty Baby'', Shields recalls this as him trying to sell her sexual awakening, as if she was in a reality show, despite her not even being in touch with her own sexuality due to growing up in a Catholic household that [[SexIsEvil tied sex to guilt and shame]]. It is suggested that Shields was enforced to be cast in the film without her consent.

* AdaptationDisplacement: ''The Blue Lagoon'' is perhaps more known today as a Brooke Shields movie, which completely overshadows the reputation of the 1908 novel that it was based off of, plus two film adaptations (from 1923 and 1949 respectively) which preceded it.

* FirstInstallmentWins: To both series but for different reasons. The first book was the only one to get a movie treatment, to which not everyone knows the writer had more story to tell. Likewise the film sequels just kind of trigger {{Sequelitis}} as not being as well liked as the first.

* {{Glurge}}: The original work and the film glorify the advantage of innocent life on nature over life in civilization, while also keeping silent that at some point their son would have to bury both parents and stay on the island alone. Not to mention that any of them could die even earlier because of some tropical illness, while they do not even have the slightest medication or that their son as a child of two close relatives could have been born with some kind of weakness that made life on a desert island dangerous. However, the book ''does'' make clear that the island may ''appear'' to be a smiling paradise, but can turn brutal in an instant. The hurricane, which is not shown in the film, is nightmarish. And Emmeline is aware of this from the outset and always remains a bit wary.
* HarsherInHindsight: When the movie was being produced, director Randall Kleiser marvelled at how Brooke Shields was "going from a child to a woman" right in front of the cameras. In the 2023 documentary 'Pretty Baby', Shields recalls this as him trying to sell her sexual awakening, as if she was in a reality show, despite her not even being in touch with her own sexuality due to growing up in a Catholic household that [[SexIsEvil tied sex to guilt and shame]].

* NightmareFuel: Richard and Emmaline finding Paddy's dead body with a crab coming out of his decomposed mouth when they're children,
** Emmaline's nightmare of Richard dying in many ways (drowning, eating the poisonous "never-wake" berries, being found dead with a crab coming out of his mouth, eaten by a shark, etc) all with thunder crashing.
** Richard and Emmaline's son Paddy accidentally eating some of the "never-wake" berries. The thought alone of your child eating something poisonous and being unable to stop it or do something about it.
** The blood dripping down the sacrificial "God" shrine Emmaline discovers in the forests. (In the book this shrine is long abandoned and it's where Em and Richard first make love. The "stone man" gets knocked over in the hurricane.)
** Richard stumbling upon some of the island natives preparing an island sacrificial ritual with an enemy's head chopped off and blood spilling, prompting Richard to run off and look for the pregnant Emmaline who has gone missing. (This combines two episodes in the book, where Richard discovers the scene of a battle on the shore after it's all over and tries to describe it to Em, and later when Em leaves and he tries to find her.)

* TearJerker: Richard and Emmaline being separated from their uncle Arthur when they're just children.
** Richard and Emmaline discovering their caretaker Paddy has died from a drunken binge and they had to lean on each other for survival, starting from when they're just children on an unknown island.
** Emmaline falling ill from stepping on a stone fish and almost dying, prompting Richard to help her.
** Richard and Emmaline's child Paddy accidentally swallowing some of the poisonous berries he brought with them, and being unable to get him to vomit them up, they both decide to join their son in death by swallowing some of the same poisonous berries too.
** Richard and Emmaline's tearful last kiss, thinking they're going to die together along with their son [[spoiler: Averted, since they all survived anyway but still...]].

* CultClassic: Despite the hatred of critics and the passage of a lot of time, this film is still a classic of romance for many. In addition, it seems that it is popular with some people because of IncestYayShipping, although neither the book nor the movie has ever had any special emphasis on it. (It was written and takes place in Victorian times, when [[KissingCousins marrying your first cousin]]).

* VindicatedByHistory: The film was panned by critics during its release, but a gradual softening of the attitude towards sensuality and erotica changed people's views of it.'

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The film was destroyed by critics (especially Creator/PaulineKael), who called the film repulsive because they felt the movie was devoted to watching the sexual experiences of half-naked teenagers. The similarity of this film with eroticas about the relationship between cousins also doesn't help.

* CultClassic: Despite the hatred of critics and the passage of a lot of time, this film is still a classic of romance for many. In addition, it seems that it is popular with some people because of IncestYayShipping, although neither the book nor the movie has ever had any special emphasis on it. (It was written and takes place in Victorian times, when [[KissingCousins marrying your first cousin]] was perfectly okay; see Values Dissonance below.)

* {{Squick}}: The erotic content of the film, dedicated to a tabooed relationship, was the main reason why the film was extremely negatively appraised by critics.

* HarsherInHindsight: When the movie was being produced, director Randall Kleiser marvelled at how Brooke Shields was "going from a child to a woman" right in front of the cameras. In the 2023 documentary 'Pretty Baby', Shields recalls this as him trying to sell her sexual awakening, as if she was in a reality show, despite her not even being in touch with her own sexuality due to growing up in a Catholic household that [[SexIsEviltied sex to guilt and shame]].

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: The story can be interpreted as a sort of reverse {{Adam and Eve Plot}}. Two children are cast out from civilization and end up in an idyllic tropical island. Their closest equivalent to a parental figure forbids them from eating a certain fruit and gives them rules, justifying his authority by saying his word is law. The children spent the next few years abiding by the 'law', not eating the fruit. Their innocence is therefore not lost during this period, even as they mate and have a son inside paradise. However, it's this same son who eventually casts them out of the island, even after they refused to return to civilization twice. After picking and supposedly eating the forbidden fruit, the son throws away their means of transportation and leaves them stranded at sea. Believing the son will die because he ate the fruit, the children are {{Driven to Suicide}} ans eat the fruit as well... And only after they do, a boat finally finds them to return them to civilization.

* VindicatedByHistory: The film was panned by critics during its release, but a gradual softening of the attitude towards sensuality and erotica changed people's views of it.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Two innocent and beautiful children grow up to be healthy and attractive teenagers, after which they become a tender couple on the island from a postcard. Be prepared to be ashamed to watch it, because everything looks too innocent and perfect. (Which is one of author Stacpoole's points.)

* {{Sequelitis}}: The sequel, which is more of a remake, came out after ten years with Creator/MillaJovovich in the title role and was completely crushed by critics, failing at the box office due to the almost verbatim quoting of the original film.

* {{Glurge}}: The original work and the film glorify the advantage of innocent life on nature over life in civilization, while also keeping silent that at some point their son would have to bury both parents and stay on the island alone. Not to mention that any of them could die even earlier because of some tropical illness, while they do not even have the slightest medication or that their son as a child of two close relatives could have been born with some kind of weakness that made life on a desert island dangerous. However, the book ''does'' make clear that the island may ''appear'' to be a smiling paradise, but can turn brutal in an instant. The hurricane, which is not shown in the film, is nightmarish.

** The blood dripping down the sacrificial "God" shrine Emmaline discovers in the forests.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Two innocent and beautiful children grow up to be healthy and attractive teenagers, after which they become a tender couple on the island from a postcard. Be prepared to be ashamed to watch it, because everything looks too innocent and perfect.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Today, it is difficult to understand why audiences considered the 1980 film so scandalous, shocking and almost pornographic when it first came out. However, sensual portrayal of sex between teenagers was completely new at the time -- not to mention the nudity of the actors, with actress Creator/BrookeShields being only about ''14 or 15'' at the time (Christopher Atkins was a completely legal 18 or 19).

* CriticalDissonance: As already mentioned here, the film was extremely negatively received by critics; Creator/RogerEbert put the film on his "[[RogerEbertMostHatedFilmList Most Hated Film List]]", and said it "made [him] itch" in his original review for it. However, this did not stop it from doing well at the box office and even now is considered a pretty sweet melodrama about first love.

* {{Glurge}}: The original work and the film glorify the advantage of innocent life on nature over life in civilization, while also keeping silent that at some point their son would have to bury both parents and stay on the island alone. Not to mention that any of them could die even earlier because of some tropical illness, while they do not even have the slightest medication or that their son as a child of two close relatives could have been born with some kind of weakness that made life on a desert island dangerous..

* {{Narm}}: It can sometimes be very difficult to take the children's quarrels seriously, as well as the behavior of the main characters being portrayed as innocent, though they are physically mature teenagers. Events being unrealistically idealized can also become difficult to accept. The point of the book, however, was that even after they mate and have a son, they remain innocent.

** Emmaline's nightmare of Richard dying in many ways (drowning, eating the poisonous "never-wake" berries, being found dead with a crab coming out of his mouth, eaten by a shark, ect) all with thunder crashing.

** Richard stumbling upon some of the island natives preparing an island sacrificial ritual complete a chicken's head chopped off and blood spilling, prompting Richard to run off afraid and look for the pregnant Emmaline who has gone missing.

* CriticalDissonance: As already mentioned here, the film was extremely negatively received by critics. However, this did not stop it from doing well at the box office and even now is considered a pretty sweet melodrama about first love.

* PuppyLove: Because of the age and innocence of the characters, their connection quickly becomes such.
* {{Sequelitis}}: The sequel, which is more of a remake, came out after ten years with Milla Jovovich in the title role and was completely crushed by critics, failing at the box office due to the almost verbatim quoting of the original film.
* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Today, it is difficult to understand why audiences considered the 1980 film so scandalous, shocking and almost pornographic when it first came out. However, sensual portrayal of sex between teenagers was completely new at the time -- not to mention the nudity of the actors, with actress Brooke Shields being only about ''14 or 15'' at the time (Christopher Atkins was a completely legal 18 or 19).

* CultClassic: Despite the hatred of critics and the passage of a lot of time, this film is still a classic of romance for many. In addition, it seems that it is popular with some people because of IncestYayShipping, although neither the book nor the movie has ever had any special emphasis on it.

* {{Narm}}: It can sometimes be very difficult to take the children's quarrels seriously, as well as the behavior of the main characters being portrayed as innocent, though they are physically mature teenagers. Events being unrealistically idealized can also become difficult to accept.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The film was destroyed by critics (especially Pauline Kael), who called the film repulsive because they felt the movie was devoted to watching the sexual experiences of half-naked teenagers. The similarity of this film with eroticas about the relationship between cousins also doesn't help.

* {{Narm}}: It can sometimes be very difficult to take seriously children's quarrels and extremely innocent behavior of main characters, which are externally perceived as physically mature teenagers. Unrealistic ideality of what is happening can also become a "hard" moment for some.
* {{Squick}}: The erotic content of the film and its similarity due to this with the eroticism, dedicated to the tabooed relationship, was the reason why the film was extremely negatively appraised by the critics.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The second part and almost a remake came out after ten years with Milla Jovovich in the title role and was completely crushed by critics, failing at the box office due to the almost verbatim quoting of the original film.
* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Today, it is difficult to understand why audiences considered the 1980 film so scandalous, shocking and almost pornographic when it first came out. However, sensual portrayal of sex between teenagers was completely new at the time -- not to mention the nudity of the actors.
* TastesLikeDiabetes: Two innocent and beautiful children grow up to be healthy and attractive teenagers, after which they become a tender couple on the island from a postcard. Be prepared be ashamed to watch it, because everything looks too innocent and perfect.

* CriticalDissonance: As already mentioned here, the film was extremely negatively received by critics. However, this did not stop him from occupying himself at the box office and even now is considered a pretty sweet melodrama about the first love.

* ValuesDissonance: KissingCousins is frowned on today in most of the U.S., making the novel and its various film adaptations difficult to watch for its incestuous overtones. In other countries where this is more permissible, almost no one cares. This was also more common in the author's time, since marriage inside the family had features of a patriarchal way of life. First-cousin marriage was also very normal in Victorian times when the book was set, exemplified by QueenVictoria and her beloved Albert.

* MemeticMutation: In Brazil, the amount of overplay of this movie by some of the most popular netwrosk there aused the movie to go into this.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: In our time it is very difficult to understand why during its release this film was considered so scandalous, shocking and even almost pornographic. However, at that time, so sensual portrayal of sexual experiences between teenagers was a completely new phenomenon, not to mention the nudity of the actors.
* TastesLikeDiabetes: Two innocent and beautiful children grow up to be healthy and attractive teenagers, after which they become a tender couple on the island from a postcard. Be prepared for the fact that you will even be ashamed to watch it, because everything looks too innocent and perfect.
* ValuesDissonance: Although now the element of KissingCousins ​​in this novel and film can be a strong incestuous element for some US residents, because of which sometimes the film is even defined as a "film with incest", in other countries almost no one paid attention to this. This was also more permissible in the years of the author's life, since the marriage inside the family carried features of a patriarchal way of life. First-cousin marriage was very normal in Victorian times, exemplified by QueenVictoria and her beloved Albert.
* VindicatedByHistory: The film was defeated by critics during its release, but a gradual softening of the attitude towards sensuality and erotica, rehabilitated it.