Up the Sandbox (1972)

A young wife and mother, bored with day-to-day life in New York City and neglected by her husband, slips into increasingly outrageous fantasies: her mother breaking into the apartment, an ... See full summary »

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Paul Zindel (screenplay), Anne Richardson Roiphe (novel)

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, David Selby, Ariane Heller

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbra Streisand	...	Margaret Reynolds
David Selby	...	Paul Reynolds
Ariane Heller	...	Elizabeth Reynolds
Terry Smith	...	Peter
Gary Smith	...	Peter
Jane Hoffman	...	Mrs. Koerner
John C. Becher	...	Mr. Koerner
Jacobo Morales	...	Fidel Castro
Paul Benedict	...	Dr. Beineke
George S. Irving	...	Dr. Keglin (as George Irving)
Pearl Shear	...	Aunt Till
Carl Gottlieb	...	Vinnie
Joseph Bova	...	John
Mary Louise Wilson	...	Betty
Marilyn Curtis	...	Judy

Storyline

A young wife and mother, bored with day-to-day life in New York City and neglected by her husband, slips into increasingly outrageous fantasies: her mother breaking into the apartment, an explorer's demonstration of tribal fertility music at a party causing strange transformations, and joining terrorists to plant explosives in the Statue of Liberty.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | feminism | breast enlargement | affair | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

Dust Mop Of The Year!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 1973 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Mulher das Mil Caras

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barwood Films, First Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This and her 1981 film, "All Night Long" (the only film until "Meet The Fockers" in which she was only a supporting player and NOT the star) each grossed roughly $4 million dollars total, making them her lowest-grossing productions. Despite the box office failure of "Up The Sandbox", it garnered her some of the best personal reviews of her career, up to that time, and is reportedly one of her favorite performances she's given on screen.

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Quotes

Mrs. Koerner: Look at this mess. I don't even wanna put my gloves down anywhere, move to New Jersey, the air is cleaner and nobody writes lesbians unite in the elevator.

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Crazy Credits

Most of the opening titles are shown over a close-up shot of an infant's buttocks.

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Connections

Referenced in Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004)

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Soundtracks

"When you're in love it's the loveliest night of the year"
(aka "The Merry-Go-Round Waltz" (uncredited)
Written by Juventino Rosas
Heard at the merry-go-round

User Reviews

An overlooked gem!

This is a film that has been sorely ignored by both Streisand fans and the movie-going public in general. SANDBOX is a comedy/drama that deals with the condition of the neglected housewives of the seventies. Streisand is absolutely wonderful in the lead. If this film had been seen by a wider audience, then you can bet she would have received an Oscar nomination.

Although the frequent fantasy/daydream scenes are somewhat uneven in quality, Streisand's touching and believable performance will keep you glued.

When originally released in 1972, SANDBOX was lost in the shadow of Streisand's blockbuster WHAT'S UP, DOC? (released the same year). >

UP THE SANDBOX deserves to be rediscovered on video. Give it a try.

My score: 8 out of 10.