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When I pondered over “Sabrina,” I developed some ideas on why the tale is so compelling – there’s a mix of Cinderella and The Ugly Ducking, deep dark Freudian passion, and it is woven into a romantic comedy. If it is halfway decent, it can hardly go wrong.
The tale was first narrated as a play by Samuel Taylor who wrote it for the Wilder movie in 1954, which featured Audrey Hepburn as the chauffeur’s daughter, William Holden as the rich, carefree young man in love with her, and Humphrey Bogart as his elder brother who eventually marries her. Those names – Wilder, Hepburn, Holden, and Bogart – are such colossal Hollywood landmarks that it feels like madness to put up a structure alongside them. But that is what Sydney Pollack has done with this 1995 version and he has pulled it off. The new version is equally as pleasing if not more than the original, but it is not as cynical and dry.
The entire film hinges on the performance of the cast. It is hard to comprehend the story as a realistic feat. To put it plainly, this is a fairy tale and the fairy tale characters and actors should fulfill the purpose of the roles they play. There is a cap of skill and talent that an actor can possess when making a film like this because there is only so much can be used when the camera is rolling, and if you do not meet the bare minimum requirements of attractiveness, the role is doomed.
Hepburn’s part can be played exquisitely by Julia Ormond, and she is an actress who never fails to leave an impression on audiences.
With her stunning display of fresh-faced prettiness, she strikes a resemblance to the young Ingrid Bergman. While she may never blossom into the swan-like beauty of Hepburn, she certainly makes an adorable duckling who climbs on top of a tree on her father’s estate located in Long Island where he works as a chauffeur just so she can watch high society people swirl around in their nightly dances. In the early parts of the movie, she is covered with a wig that is hairier than the wildest weeds and she is forced to wear a monster’s disguise. Midway through the film, she flies to Paris and transforms herself into a stunningly beautiful young woman who is so confident, that she doesn’t even get recognized by her infatuated younger brother the first time she returns home.
David Larrabee is the character’s name, while Greg Kinnear’s character is Holden. In my opinion, Sydney Pollack is one of the creators who is a skilled risk-taker for casting brand-new recipients to his productions. Kinnear is famous for being the host of the “Later” show, which was a half-hour interview program held post-midnight. He took over this program from the fantastic Bob Costas. For whatever reason, Pollack knew that Kinnear was going to be able to pull this off. He has proven though that he is a fantastic light comedian. He can be a clown in a few scenes (like when he sits on champagne glasses) but is dignified enough to make some later, very touching, scenes work.
The role of the elder billionaire siblings is performed by Harrison Ford, who gives life to Linus Larrabee. Ford’s old sibling does the usual and specializes in fast cars and fast women. Linus has never had time for romance. For most of the film, he is focused on a merger with his company and an indestructible flat-panel television screen company (some of the funniest moments are long shots, though a garden window, of Linus completely missing a lawn party to try and impress some investors by using a blow torch and hammer to smash the panel).
Upon the engagement of David and Elizabeth Tyson, daughter to the owner of the flat panels, Linus is overjoyed. Their families will combine both personally and professionally. However, when Sabrina returns from Paris, David becomes fascinated by Sabrina and forgets about Elizabeth. Linus realizes that it is his responsibility to divert David’s dangerous infatuation by courting Sabrina.
Having removed the Cinderella and Duckling story arcs, we now transition into Freudianism. Linus, by my account, is Sabrina’s grandfather, but considering the context of this movie, that is entirely irrelevant. Sabrina, to some extent, does have a father figure: her own father (John Wood) who, for some reason, decided to become a chauffeur so that he would be able to read more.
To get Sabrina to break up with David, Linus tells her that he is going to Martha’s Vineyard for a trip and offers to take her along on the elusive photography adventure. One would have to be truly naive to think that sailing, leisurely bicycle rides, picnics, and beachside bonfires were not meant to create long-lasting memories. Despite Sabrina ultimately falling in love (with Linus), as expected, things were not that easy and smooth in the final act.
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