Review #33 - Double Feature | "Sabrina" (1954) and "Sabrina" (1995)

Samuel Taylor's play "Sabrina Fair" was adapted for the screen by director Billy Wilder in 1954. The film starred the biggest names in Hollywood, including Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. The film itself lends a mystical aura to the unfolding events, creating a real-life "Cinderella Story" only four years after Walt Disney's animated classic was released. Although the film adaptation of the play, simply titled "Sabrina," was a hit at it's release, Taylor backed out of assisting on the adaptation when Wilder and producers began altering the plot of his original play. Today, a lot of the plot would be condemned for it's themes of feminism and gender-roles. Sabrina tries to commit suicide over the love of a man, attends cooking school, is always told that she should prepare meals by various characters, and is severely taken advantage of with ease. Although Audrey Hepburn gives great life and strength to the character of Sabrina, the content is simply appalling after decades have gone by.

To atone for the social norms of the film, Sydney Pollack directed an adaptation in 1995 of the same name. The remake starred heartthrob Harrison Ford of "Star Wars" fame, Greg Kinnear, and Julia Ormond. The content was adapted to modern audiences by reimagining the circumstances in which Sabrina's story progresses. Instead of the demeaning tactics of the 1954 film, Sabrina is giving strong ways of expressing herself that don't cause self-harm or gender-shaming. Instead of attempting suicide, Sabrina confronts the source of her anxiety. In lieu of going to cooking school in France, Sabrina gets a job at Vogue Paris and develops a hobby in photography. More circumstances like this are used throughout the re-make to update the content for social reasons. Other than that, the film follows a very similar story line.

Both films are endearing to the heart and strike up a nostalgia for Paris in anyone who has been bitten by that bug. The re-make also encourages humour in the plot and enhances the dream-like fantasy of the content all the way back to the original play. Intimate views of Paris span at least a quarter of the content of the 1995 film. It is inspiring to compare the two films and visually see the progression of globalization and technology in filmmaking within the 40 years between the two films.

Both "Sabrina" films are classics that every mother should give their daughter, every aunt should give their niece, and every sister should giver their smaller sister. The 1954 film is a great vessel to educate girls on who Audrey Hepburn was as well as the legacy she has left behind. The 1995 film is easier for audience's today to receive, and young girls can certainly take away messages of confidence.

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"Sabrina" (1954): Unrated. Runs 1 hour 53 minutes.

Directed by Billy Wilder. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden.

"Sabrina" (1995): Rated PG. Runs 2 hours 7 minutes.

Directed by Sydney Pollack. Starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, and Greg Kinnear.