  We present a family of six BVI template light curves for SNe Ia for days -5
and +80, based on high-quality data gathered at CTIO. These templates display a
wide range of light curve morphologies, with initial decline rates of their B
light curves between m15(B)=0.87 mag and 1.93 mag. We use these templates to
study the general morphology of SNe Ia light curves. We find that several of
the main features of the BVI templates correlate tightly with m15(B). In
particular, the V light curves, which are probably a reasonably good
approximation of the bolometric light curves, display an orderly progression in
shapes between the most-luminous, slowest-declining events and the
least-luminous, fastest-declining SNe. This supports the idea that the observed
spectroscopic and photometric sequences of SNe Ia are due primarily to one
parameter. Nevertheless, SNe with very similar initial decline rates do show
significant differences in their light curve properties when examined in
detail, suggesting the influence of one or more secondary parameters.
