The Sandpiper (1965)

A free-spirited single mother forms a connection with the wed headmaster of an Episcopal boarding school in California.

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Martin Ransohoff (story), Irene Kamp (adaptation)

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Eva Marie Saint

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Laura Reynolds
Richard Burton	...	Dr. Edward Hewitt
Eva Marie Saint	...	Claire Hewitt
Charles Bronson	...	Cos Erickson
Robert Webber	...	Ward Hendricks
James Edwards	...	Larry Brant
Torin Thatcher	...	Judge Thompson
Tom Drake	...	Walter Robinson
Douglas Henderson	...	Phil Sutcliff (as Doug Henderson)
Morgan Mason	...	Danny Reynolds

Storyline

Twenty-something Laura Reynolds is a free spirit who questions social conventions, laws and regulations. A struggling artist, she lives in a secluded beach-side cabin in Big Sur with her nine year old illegitimate son, Danny, on who she has instilled her values. Because of this questioning of convention, Laura has decided to home school Danny. Also because of this questioning of the law, Danny runs into some legal problems, and as such is court ordered to be sent to San Simeon, a Christian school in Monterey. This order is against Laura's wishes. The school's headmaster is Dr. Rev. Edward Hewitt, who tries to convince Laura that San Simeon is not the prison she probably believes it to be. Married for twenty-one years to his faithful wife Claire, Edward has become more a fund-raiser at all cost (for a new chapel) rather than an educator or priest. Despite their differences, Laura and Edward begin to fall for each other. Both but especially Edward have to reconcile their feelings for ...

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Plot Keywords:

school | unwed mother | big sur | deer | love | 

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Taglines:

"You told her about me? How could you tell anyone about me...much less your own wife?"

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Almas en conflicto

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$6,100,000, 31 December 1965

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,000,000, 31 January 1970

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmways Pictures, Venice Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to one published report, the redwood sculpture of a nude Elizabeth Taylor was accidentally destroyed years later when it tipped over and smashed, and was discovered to be teeming with termites.

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Goofs

In a beach scene, Laura is shown sketching on a drawing pad. In shots facing her, she is always holding the pad up with her left hand. In shots facing Edward, the pad is propped up against some driftwood. At one point she is lying face down, with both elbows in the sand, her left hand on her head and sketching with her right. When the camera angle changes, she is suddenly partially raised up on one side, facing Edward. The drawing pad is flat on the sand with a rock in the middle of it.

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Quotes

Dr. Edward Hewitt: I've learned that total adjustment to society is quite as bad as total maladjustment, that principled disobedience of unjust law is more Christian, more truly law abiding than unprincipled respect.

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Connections

Featured in Elizabeth Taylor - An Intimate Portrait (1975)

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Soundtracks

The Shadow of Your Smile
Words by Paul Francis Webster
Music by Johnny Mandel
Performed by Chorus

User Reviews

This is vintage 60's Hollywood fluff, but it's great fluff.

Ok, I admit it. I have a guilty affection for this film. It's silly and shallow, but it's got a great performance by Richard Burton, and a pretty good one by Elizabeth Taylor. It's also gorgeously filmed in Big Sur country, and has an evocative soundtrack. "The Sandpiper" was filmed at the height of the Burton/Taylor mania. Richard plays a minister who runs an exclusive boys academy, and Liz plays the free-thinking artist mother who's son (Morgan Mason, James Mason's son) does some deer hunting out of season. The boy is sentenced to Burton's school to be saved from his mother's beatnik influence, and as the boy settles into life at the boarding school, Liz falls in love with the married minister Burton. They have a torrid affair, afternoons along the surf, etc., until a jealous colleague of Burton's blows the whistle on the pair. Corny, but I still love the movie.