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Features: Sensormatic, DVD, Widescreen, Dolby
Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live in Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stengo, the movies 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. Meryl Streep won an Oscar for her performance as Sophie. System Requirements:Directed by Alan J. Pakula Writing credits Alan J. Pakula Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline Runtime: 151 min.Format: DVD MOVIE
"...a brilliantly acted, moving story..." At-A-Glance Film Reviews
Editor's Note
Faithfully adapted from Willian Styron's best-selling novel, Alan J. Pakula's handsome production charts the course of an eccentric and intense love triangle in 1947 Brooklyn, New York. Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for her carefully nuanced performance and perfect accent as Sophie, a Polish survivor of WWII concentration camps who harbors a devastating secret. The film is told through the eyes of aspiring Southern author Stingo (Emmy-nominated Peter MacNichol of TV's ALLY MCBEAL) who moves to New York and strikes a friendship with Sophie and her boyfriend Nathan--played by Kevin Kline in his debut screen role.
Plot Summary
The film follows Stingo, an aspiring young writer who moves to New York just post-WWII to a Brooklyn boarding house where he becomes friends with Nathan Landau (Kevin Kline), a Jewish research chemist and Nathan's girlfriend, Polish refugee Sophie Zawistowska (Meryl Streep). Nathan and Sophie's relationship is clouded by Nathan's violent behavior, his uncontrollable jealousy, and Sophie's unexpressed but troubling memories of her war experience. Her stories about her life during the war begin to unravel, exposing her as a liar and adding a tone of mystery to the strained relationship between Nathan, Stingo, and herself. The film culminates in a flashback reflecting the horrors of the war and the true cause of Sophie's insufferable pain. Director Alan J. Pakula's film, a departure from his conspiracy and suspense dramas, was an adaptation of William Styron's best-selling novel and the story itself was based on his experiences as a southerner living in Brooklyn in 1947.
| Features | Widescreen Version | | Reverse Spiral Dual Layer Disc | | Director's Commentary Track | | "Making Of..." Documentary | | 2.0 Dolby Surround | | Digitally Mastered | | Spanish Subtitles | | Theatrical Trailer | | Production Notes | | Cast & Crew Information | | Scene Access | | Interactive Menus |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Artisan |
| Release Date: 2/1/2005 |
| Running Time: 150 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1982 | | Catalog ID: 60487 | | UPC: 00012236048701 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC] | | Available Subtitles: Spanish | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1983) |  | Meryl Streep, Winner, Best Actress | |
Golden Globe (1983) | | Meryl Streep, Winner, Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture-Drama | |
Oscar (1983) | | | Nestor Almendros, Nominee, Best Cinematography | | | Albert Wolsky, Nominee, Best Costume Design | | | Marvin Hamlisch, Nominee, Best Music, Original Score | | | Alan J. Pakula, Nominee, Best Writing, Screenplay Based On Material From Another Medium | |
Golden Globe (1983) | | | Kevin Kline, Nominee, Best New Star Of The Year In A Motion Picture-Male |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...Handsome....[The] camerawork is luminous..." 12/08/1982New York Times
"...Streep accomplishes the near-impossible, presenting Sophie in believably human terms without losing the scale of [Styron's] invention....By turns exhilarating and heartbreaking..." 12/10/1982 p.C12 Total Film
"Streep's turn...is a tour-de-force. It's a performance only she could have given -- luminous and phenomenally moving." 03/01/2004 p.7 Find-A-Video 9 of 10
Two superb performances. Only a once-in-a-lifetime portrayal by Meryl Streep in this powerful adaptation of William Styron's sweeping novel could have overshadowed Kevin Kline's unrecognized genius as Streep's volatile lover. Of course, Ms. Streep has had more once-in-a-lifetime performances than any other American actress.
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