Sophie's Choice (1982)

Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust.

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

William Styron (based on the novel: "Sophie's Choice" by), Alan J. Pakula (screenplay)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Sophie
Kevin Kline	...	Nathan
Peter MacNicol	...	Stingo
Rita Karin	...	Yetta
Stephen D. Newman	...	Larry
Greta Turken	...	Leslie Lapidus
Josh Mostel	...	Morris Fink
Marcell Rosenblatt	...	Astrid Weinstein
Moishe Rosenfeld	...	Moishe Rosenblum
Robin Bartlett	...	Lillian Grossman
Eugene Lipinski	...	Polish Professor
John Rothman	...	Librarian
Joseph Leon	...	Dr. Blackstock
David Wohl	...	English Teacher
Nina Polan	...	Woman in English Class

Storyline

Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie's narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | aspiring writer | concentration camp | holocaust | phone ringing | 

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Taglines:

Between the innocent, the romantic, the sensual, and the unthinkable. There are still some things we have yet to imagine.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Kevin Kline's second film. The Pirates of Penzance (1983) was filmed first, making it his film debut, however, due to delays in post production, it was released after Sophie's Choice (1982).

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Goofs

When Nathan toasts Stingo on the bridge, as the shot pulls back you see first one then several cars from 1982, obviously an issue with how long they could hold up the bridge traffic for the shot, they needed to hold it up an extra minute or maybe lacked the budget to pay for late 40's cars to drive by instead. You can also see the lights of The River Cafe, a waterfront restaurant under the bridge that didn't open until 1977.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: It was 1947, two years after the war, when I began my journey to what my father called the Sodom of the north, New York. They called me Stingo, which was the nick name I was known by in those days, if I was called anything at all.

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Alternate Versions

CBS edited 12 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: The Man Who Came to Be Dinner (2015)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No 6 in F Major: Pastoral, Op.68
(1808)
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven (as Ludwig Van Beethoven)
Courtesy of Intersound, Inc,

User Reviews

Best Performance Ever

Meryl Streep's performance as Sophie is simply the finest performance ever captured on film. Period. The subtlety and depth with which she reveals Sophie's wounds are simply spellbinding. She is at once radiantly beautiful, yet deeply wounded. She is charming, yet vulnerable. She is someone you want to love, yet someone whose pain keeps you at a distance.

This film takes the viewer on an intense emotional journey. Anyone, but especially anyone who is a parent, would have to be an emotional rock to not be absolutely haunted by this story. As much as I have studied and pondered the Holocaust, this film has connected me to those events more emotionally than I have ever been before.

This film, and Ms. Streep's performance, are a gift to humanity.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Polish German French Russian

Release Date:

4 March 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sophie's Choice

Filming Locations:

Reiserovo castle, Samobor, Croatia

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$202,131, 12 December 1982

Gross USA:

$30,036,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,036,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC), Keith Barish Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 157 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1