Up the Sandbox (1972)

A bored housewife takes refuge in a fantasy world.

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:

knocked unconscious | new york city | siren the alarm | television camera | cake | 

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Taglines:

Barbra Streisand is the Woman of the Year in the Picture of the Year!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie starred Barbra Streisand, and was directed by Irvin Kershner, who directed S*P*Y*S (1974) starring Elliott Gould. Streisand and Gould were once married.

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Quotes

Mrs. Koerner: Remember, marriage is a 75 - 25 proposition... the woman gives 75.

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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 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street (2015)

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Soundtracks

Sobre las olas (Over the Waves)
(uncredited)
Music by Juventino Rosas
Heard at the merry-go-round

User Reviews

Tops in Mops

This is true: I personally reissued this film into cinemas in Australia in 1997. Why? because it is a maligned and neglected minor film from someone you would not expect to produce it. Certainly SANDBOX was "the Barbra Streisand film you never saw" and it attracted more than a few curious ticketbuyers. Not a success at all in 1972 and subsequently forgotten, I felt it to almost be the Manhattan style Woody Allen film Barbra made instead. The fantasy scenes in particular are hilarious and most of the motherhood sadness effective and touching. It is a pity a lot of the Masai tribe fantasy scenes remained on the cutting room floor as they are too brief and hint at a lot more to enjoy. It clearly is a film for young mothers and sold that way works. Most men hate it. They do not even want to get it. Anyway, I staged a preview with newspaper promotions and ticket winners to a screening. It was packed. The film went over quite well (especially the home movie fantasy at the parents house) but became confusing and ended abruptly for this audience. As I walked from the screening I overheard two staggering 80 year old grannies: "Well what'dyathink?" croaked one to the other. The other stopped and looked at her friend: "Ergg..what dya expect for free". Again, SANDBOX got great press reviews but I think I used up most of my public at the preview. It folded after a month. However, now on DVD it is a prize possession of many female friends who have just had their first kid, as Babs had in the early 70s.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 April 1973 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Up the Sandbox

Filming Locations:

Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barwood Films, First Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1