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:

What's Barbra up to? Up the marriage trap. Up the revolution. Up the Zambesi River. And up to something surprisingly wonderful.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 April 1973 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Mulher das Mil Caras

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reportedly, a number of alternate endings were written and filmed before settling on the one in the released version. One of the unused endings was to leave the viewer not entirely sure that what they'd seen was reality or yet another fantasy sequence.

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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 Massage Parlor Murders! (1973)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

This is one of Barbra Streisand's funniest films

This is one of Barbra Streisand's funniest films, if not the funniest.

This comedy, about a young woman's plight about whether she should tell her husband she is pregnant, has more weight than most of today's dramas and more imagination and humor than Woody Allen's last three features combined. The character she plays is an indominitable spirit who seems to use her imagination to survive in a very dark world, and the very bleak situation she finds herself in. It is very hard to tell exactly when the line between fantasy and reality has been crossed in many of the scenes, which makes a point about the world on its own. This movie was years ahead of its time and remains fresher than any modern comedy to date. It also holds up as well after the tenth viewing as it does after the first, because of the number of surreal vignettes, poignant moments, and Barbra's performance.

A must-see for any comedy fan, and a Streisand fan should run out immediately and rent it; you'll be kicking yourself not to have seen it before. The movie stands on its own as a testament to the human mind and spirit in the face of all circumstances.