The Sandpiper

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William M @RT89920294 Feb 18, 2025 This is a masterpiece which united the best actors, director, screenwriter cinematography, and the most beautiful post-Garbo brunette in the world. It repelled the critics of the day because they are neither Christians (Burton's Hewitt) nor Rousseau-istic, "back to nature" types (Taylor's Reynolds), and this is the most even-handed, eloquent, witty rendering of Christian morality vs. Rousseau-istic deism/atheism Hollywood ever attempted, now that Covid has finally killed the movies. The pretty, Oscar-winning (?) song, suitably sung by male chorus, is just a footnote to the brilliant melancholy of the persistently tragic NON-soapy plot, yet comic relief is there for those "happy few" able to detect it. Minelli's directing is unimprovable. Yeah, yeah, the real hero is the Big Sur scenery, but what a "supporting" cast! Right up there with that of "Grand Hotel" and yes, "Mildred Pierce," the enigma of spoiled daughters. The Sandpiper characters ALL elicit sympathy from us (the sign of a great drama), they all learn something, but lose "everything": Danny loses a father, Hewitt, he's probably never going to have; Laura loses her great love; Hewitt loses both that and his career and high salary; Claire Hewitt loses her ideal faithful marriage; Ward Hendricks (well played by one Webber), divorced but saddled with his kids, is shunned by the Laura whom he perceives as his great love (his proposal only earns him a death threat). The film could've been named "Original Sin In Action"! Yet everyone is young, or youngish, so it ends on a note of hope and peace with oneself. OR with God. See more Julie B @RT06180755 May 1, 2024 Slow start, but soon entertained by ET's beauty, the 60s Big Sur art colony lifestyle, and the story itself. I'm in my 60s, so can relate to a lot of what's said, the responses, the outcome .... Perfect song - Oscar winner and a Grammy for the composer's score. TCM included an extra clip explaining the special statue commissioned for the film - interesting. See more The Few T @RT87720770 Jan 17, 2024 I watched this movie a few years ago, and I thought the plot, along with the cinematography very engaging. I also thoroughly enjoyed the character development, and the way in which the two protagonists ( Taylor and Burton ) found both a common ground, and a mutual respect. I also especially enjoyed how this movie showcases the incredible beauty of Big Sur, to which I have had the very great pleasure of both visiting on numerous occasions, as well as living there for an all-too-brief period of time. It is one of those movies that stays with you for a very long time. See more Red T @RT43513976 Jul 24, 2023 It's barely ok. The main issue is the pacing isn't that good because the music is used so much in this and it isn't that good either. It's very slow, boring, elevator type music that puts you to sleep more than anything else. Everything else is just average as well. Taylor is decent and the best thing in this but Burton is just ok and comes across as wooden and only having average chemistry with Taylor honestly. The shots are well framed and the settings are nice but nothing engaging is really going on in most of the scenes besides talking and the dialogue/chemistry isn't strong enough to carry the scenes. The second half does get better when there is more conflict and everyone has a character arc by the end. The problem is just how slow and tedious it is to get there mainly by the tiring soundtrack. This has underlying commentary about society expectations put on different people and whether it is society or ourselves that put those expectations on us and when we don't let that hold us back we can be free but it gets weighed down. The other big issue is the child who the plot starts with is kind of forgotten about for most of the movie and is just ok and kind of a throwaway. It would've been nicer also to see more conflict with the other lovers and Burton/Taylor. Really also besides the soundtrack, Burton is what holds this back also from being anything noteworthy as well. He just doesn't have any chemistry with anyone, except Taylor and even than its nothing electrifying. Anyone who is a die hard fan of BOTH Taylor & Burton I could see liking this, but everyone else should skip this footnote movie. See more Apr 29, 2022 Editing could of been better, It must of been difficult to direct Taylor and Burton, it's obvious they are smitten with each other and not very focused on the story. Taylor overacts and Burton downplays his tole. Most likely to give Taylor the spotlight. The story is good, but the acting distracts from the plot making it slow to develop. The oscar winning soundtrack also slows it down. It has outstanding cast but it just seems like it's missing something. Again, I would say it was the editing See more Apr 1, 2022 I must say I am not a fan of Cleopatra or Shrew or most Burton & Taylor together movies. Both are great actors, and I would point to Taylor in Giant and Burton in Night Of The Iguana. Together they hit their stride in 1965 and 1966 with Sandpiper and Virginia Woolf. Sandpiper gives us the great director Minelli and the great writer Trumbo name on the screen after the blacklist era. Plus a great musical score and add in some Charles Bronson. Taylor plays a single mom trying to home school her child. That plot holds up to this day. The courts force her child into a school, and enter the minister and school master Burton, who is married to Eva Marie Saint. The minister finds the conflict of falling in love with the single mom. He ends up blackmailed by a money donor to the church school who desires to cheat on his wife with the single mom, even though she hates the church donor. Robert Webber as the evil church donor is the true villain. The minister and single mom are not dirty, just ill fated. They do love each other. Just as the mended sandpiper has to fly away, the minister has to escape the hypocrisy of himself and church donors way before he met the single mom. In the end the minister loves his wife and the single mom both, but leaves hoping his wife will someday join him. There is not hate as the minister and single mom part ways, just that they wish in their love that they didn't have to. Now some may not like this movie because like How Green Is My Valley, it questions the hypocrites of the church. Most religions blast movies that do this. That it is not Dirty, but their love is Beautiful, even if ill fated, is a well made movie. This movie of a single mom and a minister who never meant to fall in love are characters that hold up to this day. Anyone who sees this as a Dirty Movie is because they are Dirty Minded. This is a complex, well made movie that holds up in the narrow mindedness still going today. To me, The Sandpiper and Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf are the MUST SEE Burton with Taylor movies. Not for non thinking, weak minded, who feed on baby food movies. For those tired of pablum, I recommend trying this well made grown up movie. See more Read all reviews

The Sandpiper

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