Sabrina (1995)

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers (WGA):

Samuel A. Taylor (play)
Billy Wilder (earlier screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

You are cordially invited to the most surprising merger of the year.

Plot:

An ugly duckling having undergone a remarkable change, still harbors feelings for her crush: a carefree playboy, but not before his business-focused brother has something to say about it.

Plot Keywords:

Chauffeur | Vogue Magazine | Playboy | Color Remake Of Black And White Film | Reference To Bill Bojangles Robinson

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Dec. 3

11:30 AM

AMC

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Linus Larrabee
Julia Ormond	...	Sabrina Fairchild
Greg Kinnear	...	David Larrabee
Nancy Marchand	...	Maude Larrabee
John Wood	...	Tom Fairchild
Richard Crenna	...	Patrick Tyson
Angie Dickinson	...	Mrs. Ingrid Tyson
Lauren Holly	...	Elizabeth Tyson, MD
Dana Ivey	...	Mack
Miriam Colon	...	Rosa
Elizabeth Franz	...	Joanna
Fanny Ardant	...	Irène
Valérie Lemercier	...	Martine
Patrick Bruel	...	Louis
Becky Ann Baker	...	Linda

Also Known As:

Sabrina (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:6 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Australia:G | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

399 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Constellation Entertainment

Trivia:

The poem about Sabrina the water sprite is actually an excerpt from a masque called Comus, by John Milton. In turn, Sabrina in the Milton poem is based on a Welsh tale about a princess named Sabrina who was thrown in a river that is the boundary between Wales and England. The water deity Nereus took pity on Sabrina and turned her into a river goddess.

Goofs:

Factual errors: On the third evening after the accident, David says "the stitches are coming off tomorrow". Removing stitches so quickly is not realistic.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sabrina: Once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, not far from New York, there was a very very large mansion, almost a castle, where there lived a family by the name of Larrabee. There were servants inside the mansion, and servants outside the mansion; boatmen to tend the boats...

Movie Connections:

References "House of Style" (1989)

Soundtrack:

How Can I Remember?

Really enjoyable

Sabrina contains about every cliché you could possibly imagine: an apparently dowdy young woman undergoing a makeover whilst abroad and returning home looking stunning; a young playboy who the girl has always loved initially failing to recognise her with her new look then pursuing her romantically; the overly-serious older brother using the girl in a plan to achieve his business ends then realising that he really does love her; the younger brother proving at the end that he's not so dumb after all - the list of stereotypes could go on and on. However having said all that, when such a seemingly familiar film is as well made and as beautifully scripted and acted as Sabrina, it's hard not to be swept along with it and to enjoy every minute. I loved the performances here, particularly from Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond. I've never seen Ford play such a staid, uncharismatic character as Linus before but I get the impression from watching the film that he enjoyed the opportunity to take on this kind of part. Ormond makes an extremely engaging leading lady, perfect for the role of Sabrina. I particularly enjoyed Sabrina's mirthful reaction to seeing Linus put on the baseball cap while he's trying to win her affection. Also very funny was Linus' effortless recognition of the new-look Sabrina thus revealing her identity to a confused David. John Willliams also contributes a nice score. This is a classy romantic comedy, well worth watching.