Sabrina(s) Fair

My best friend, who is also an old movie fan, has been trying to get me to watch the 1995 remake of Sabrina for years. It took me a long time to warm up to the idea, but we finally watched it together this past week. And I have THOUGHTS.

Of course, the original (which was released in 1954) starred Audrey Hepburn in the title role; with Bill Holden as David Larrabee, and Humphrey Bogart as Linus Larrabee. The remake starred Julia Ormond as Sabrina, with Greg Kinnear and Harrison Ford as David and Linus, respectively. (For the sake of clarity, we’ll simply refer to the original as “1954” and the remake as “1995").

First of all: SOLID REMAKE. (I’m glad I listened to my friend.) It was done in the style of a casual 90s romcom, which actually suited it better than if the filmmakers tried to recreate the "formal" style of the original. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was also a reflection of their attitude while making it: Maybe the reason they actually succeeded in capturing the feel of the original, was because they weren’t trying too hard to do so.

Second of all: They nailed Sabrina’s return from Paris in 1995. Although 1954’s reveal of the “new" Sabrina at the Glen Cove Station will forever be iconic, the transformation wasn’t as impactful. I don’t think it’s ever possible to make Audrey Hepburn look gawky or awkward in the first place! But in 1995, it was clear she had swapped her ungainliness for sophisticated confidence.

Speaking of, Julia Ormond was perfect for the role of Sabrina. I appreciated that instead of trying (and inevitably failing) to find a carbon copy of Audrey Hepburn, they chose someone who instead captured the spirit of the character. She was so classy and enchanting, and she made the role her own while still honoring the original.

It was interesting to see what changes they made to the characters. For instance, in 1995, when Sabrina said "I used to be so afraid of [Linus]", it was said in the context of her not being afraid to dish back sass and respond to his insults. In 1954, that statement was made because Linus was showing a softer side of himself, when all she knew previously was his abrasive side. Although I like that 1995 used this to show Sabrina's newfound confidence in herself, I still liked the 1954 approach better: Instead of finding the need to defend herself from Linus’ rude remarks, Sabrina was attracted to Linus’ gentleness.

My only problem with Greg Kinnear as David was that I liked him TOO MUCH. I was rooting for him, which we’re not really supposed to do! It was easier to dislike Bill Holden’s version, because he never seemed genuine. Even when he "fell" for Sabrina, it was clear that he considered it just another fling. I think this characterization had as much to do with the actor as it did the writing: There's no need to root for Bill Holden, the Golden Boy. With his confidence and perfect looks, he’s already got everything going for him. But the writing in 1995, and Kinnear’s acting choices, hint at the possibility that David’s playboy attitude is just a facade. There’s a sad, lonely boy underneath all that charm—the confidence is just a coping mechanism.

I felt for Kinnear’s David the way I felt for Bogie’s Linus. Holden is untouchable, which sets Bogie up as the underdog: Bogie's the man who's worked hard all his life, and deserves to finally find some happiness. By contrast, Harrison Ford's Linus is the one who has it all, and quite frankly, I wasn't rooting for him much in the remake.

In the 1954 version, I always get so disappointed during the scene where Sabrina and Linus come home from their date, and David is waiting for them in the driveway:“Dangit, here he comes to mess everything up.” In the 1995 one, it was the reverse, and I must confess to going full Lina Lamont on him: “There you are, David! Where you been? I was lonely!”

So all that to say, even though I technically liked Greg's David more, Holden's version was better suited for the plot. But even though I wasn't supposed to, I liked having a David I could root for.

1995 was also padded with more verbal explanation than necessary. While that didn’t slow the film down too much, it was a reminder of how TIGHT the original was. The stellar writing and acting complemented each other so perfectly that it didn’t need extra dialogue.

What made me love 1995 as much as I did is that it retained a lot of details from the original—the kinds of details that usually tend to get overlooked in remakes. For example, one of my favorite parts of the original is the bit where we see Linus inside during the party, showing people how the new glass product works. I was delighted to see that they kept that in the remake. Most of the classic lines we know and love are still in there as well (including an homage to the “How do you say ‘my sister has a yellow pencil?’” exchange; which was sweet, if a little clumsy). They clearly had a lot of respect for 1954, and they put a lot of love and care into keeping it as true to the original as possible.

The Final Verdict

Although 1954 will always be my favorite, there's a lot to like about 1995. A perfect remake stays true to the original, but switches it up enough that there's still a point in it being remade. And in this case, where the new version deviates (no spoilers!), it does so purposefully and intentionally. There's no arrogance; no "we're redoing this because we think we can do it better." The best part is that I can take elements I enjoyed from both, and craft a more complete story for these characters and their world. I think Linus would be proud of the merger this remake helped create.