Eight years ago, 32-year-old director Randal Kleiser read a tender, romantic novel called The Blue Lagoon, and he's wanted to make it into a film ever since. He's getting his chance now, and the result promises to be a very special film. First published in 1908, the tale centers around two children shipwrecked on a tropical island, trying to work out the problems and mysteries of growing up without the benefit of social rules of adult guidance. Kleiser tried to find teens for the leading roles who closely resembled the two described in the original story. He finally chose lovely Brooke Shields to play Emmeline and handsome newcomer Christopher Atkins to play Richard. The only change Christopher had to make was to have his straight blonde hair curled.

In order to give the film a unique look, Kleiser, who also directed the hit film Grease, looked for a special cinematographer (or cameraman). That search ended when he found Nestor Almendros, the man who won an Academy Award for his stunning photography in Days of Heaven. With a brilliant cast and crew assembled, Kleiser took his production to one of the small, remote Fiji Islands for the actual filming-over 5,000 miles from the glitter and glamor of Hollywood, The group spent most of this past fall working in the tropical paradise where their main problem was forgetting what day-and sometimes what month-it was!

Of course, it wasn't all bliss for the two young stars. Working in the ocean and the island's jungles means Brooke suffered many cuts on her legs, which were aggravated by her body makeup. She also put up with being called a lot of good-humored nicknames, such as Patches (because of her splotchy tan), Spider Girl (becauae she's so thin and long-legged), La Shields and Brookie Cookie! On top of that, she caught a bad case of bronchitis. Christopher also got big chare of bruises and nasty coral cuts, mostly because he did a lot of his own stuntwork. "In the underwater scenes I cut myself ragged on coral," says Chris. "I've been falling out of coconut trees, scraping myself in the jungle-I'm having a blast!" How can he possibly call that fun? "If I'm not hurting myself, it's too much like a vacation," he explains. Upon returning to Los Angeles, everyone had to agree that filming The blue Lagoon was a pretty great way to work. But after all that isolation, no one minded seing the big-city crowds for a change.

At least that's what was supposed to happen. Last June, two weeks before Brooke's seaplane splashed down on the Lagoon set (the island of Nanuya Levu in the Fijis), director Kleiser taped a photo of Brooke over Chris' bunk. The two had never met. "I wanted him to look at her every night before he went to sleep," says Kleiser. "Naturally, by the time she arrived he was in love with her."