Sabrina

Sabrina Fairchild (Julia Ormond) grew up as the mousy daughter of the chauffeur (John Wood) of the wealthy Larrabee family on the north shore of Long Island. It was a grand estate and she would spy on their grand parties from a tree. Maude Larrabee (Nancy Marchand) inherited the Larrabee Corporation from her dead husband. Cold-hearted Linus Larrabee (Harrison Ford) took the company to even greater heights. David (Greg Kinnear) is the playboy son who Sabrina is completely infatuated with. She goes off to Paris to work on Vogue as a lowly assistant. She slowly moves away from her David infatuation to a love affair with a photographer. Meanwhile David is falling for Elizabeth Tyson (Lauren Holly) whose family business Linus wants to merge with. Elizabeth wants to marry David but he is reluctant to let go of his playboy lifestyle. Sabrina comes home and David doesn't recognize her at first. David becomes infatuated threatening to derail the marriage plans and Linus' big business deal.

The movie is asking too much of Julia Ormond. She looks too old to play a teenager. She is also too young to play the love interest for Harrison Ford. Their chemistry is way too cold. That is the biggest missing element. Greg Kinnear actually has better chemistry. They could have worked together in a romance. Harrison Ford is not good in this role. In fact, I have difficulty pointing to any good romantic leading roles for him that actually worked without an action thriller. However, the movie has the solid foundations of the '54 film. That much is there. It has some great scenes. It seems to always work when Julia Ormond gets emotionally walloped. She's possibly the best part of the movie. Ford just doesn't have that extra gear to be the sensitive romantic lead when the movie calls for it.

Many critiques on this site suppose that it is somehow superior to the original. I am not sure how this can hold up. While Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear are fine actors in their own right, comparing them to the coupling of Bogart and Holden is ridiculous. Just because a movie is OLD does not make it better, but if it is impeccably filmed and acted superbly, what is the point in redoing it to inferior standards? I suggest that the state of movie-making has in fact declined, as the art form has given way to popular sentiment, over-the-top portrayals of characters, and remakes which attempt to market themselves on previous successful attempts. To say that someone who repainted a Michaelangelo has made it somewhat made it better because painting has "evolved" is equally as stupid as saying any remake improves. And while Audrey Hepburn is not the world's finest actress, she has a unique cinematic quality which cannot be imitated or reproduced, much like her co-stars in this film. Please Hollywood, stop reproducing classics simply because there is a drought of originality and screenplays. Try rereleasing these classics so the public can see movies as they were meant to be viewed.

The temptation to compare it with the 1954 version is not small. And it is a good thing because the film has the force to use its voice. Julia Ormond is realy Sabrina. And Harrison Ford is a revelation as Linus. But, for me, the authetic good points are Miriam Colon as lovely Rosa and Nancy Marchand as wise,fascinating Maude Larrabee. Short, a seductive film.

Julia Ormond is sensational as the young Sabrina Fairchild, daughter of the chauffeur (John Wood) of a wealthy family. Sabrina has been in love with playboy brother (of wealthy family) David (Greg Kinnear) all her life, and is dismayed when her father sends her off to Paris to get a new view of the world. However, years later, when she returns as an older woman, David then realizes how 'right' she is for him, even if he's finally setting a date with one of his two-week lovers. Behind this interaction, older brother and businessman Linus (Harrison Ford), whose pleased about David's engagement, seeing that he's marrying the daughter of wealthy business competitor Mr. Tyson, knows that Sabrina just might end the marriage and the merger. To make things work out, Linus pretends to start being interested in her. This is a delightful tale about love with beautiful music and visual shots that will make you very pleased. The movie is unique enough to be considered a film of individuality, not another version of the same film. Both Sabrina (1954) and Sabrina (1995) are well done, just different. Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Stars.

I really liked this film. The acting, the music, the dialogue, the gorgeous scenes of Paris and New England, and the glamourous parties. Julia Ormond is no Audrey Hepburn, but who is? I think she hit all the right notes as the shy, clumsy girl who goes away, blossoms, and comes home confident and glamourous. Ormond's Sabrina never loses her innocence or her good heart. Greg Kinnear was hilarious as the lovable ladies' man (and looks a lot like William Holden in the original). Nancy Marchand was hysterically funny as the crabby Mrs. Larabee, and John Wood turned in a good performance as Sabrina's father.

But I did have a harder time with Harrison Ford's Linus. He seemed too dark and too greedy to buy as loving Sabrina, even when he called off the merger. It always seemed to ring false in a way. He seemed a lot like the character of Richard in "Caroline in the City".

But I regress. This is a very good movie!