Common Sense Media Review
Uneven remake, still a sweet story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sabrina
What's the Story?
Once upon a time there was a chauffeur's daughter named Sabrina (Julia Ormond). Growing up above the garage at the Larrabee estate, Sabrina worships the family's youngest son David (Greg Kinnear), from afar. After going to Paris and ditching the glasses, Sabrina returns a beautiful swan. In spite of David's upcoming marriage to the daughter of an important business partner, she continues to adore him. When the tables are turned, his business-minded brother Linus (Harrison Ford) intervenes to set things right. Despite his type-A heart, Linus winds up falling for Sabrina as well. The brothers duke it out and in a predictable ending, the right brother wins.
Is It Any Good?
Based on Billy Wilder's 1954 film by the same name, SABRINA has few, if any surprises. The best parts are of the Larrabees' sumptuous social gatherings, which could well be taken from a happier version of The Great Gatsby. There is technically nothing wrong with the film, but it does drag at points.
Director Sydney Pollack does an adequate job of updating the 1950s fairytale. Julia Ormond is delightful in the title role. John Wood, as her father, does equally well. Unfortunately, neither Greg Kinnear nor Harrison Ford manage to create a character that is worthy of Sabrina's affection. Despite its lack of chemistry, the movie manages to be cute, if uninspired.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the problems of class raised by the movie. Although Linus insists "this is the 90s" and his efforts to derail David's growing romance with Sabrina supposedly has little to do with her being the chauffeur's daughter, class remains a sticky issue. Why does the film pay little attention to Sabrina's ambitions, instead suggesting that her only means for real advancement involves marrying up? What reasons might there be for Sabrina loving Linus Larrabee aside from his money? How does Linus's greed and obsession with work keep him from being happy?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 1, 1995
- On DVD or streaming : February 1, 2000
- Cast : Greg Kinnear , Harrison Ford , Julia Ormond
- Director : Sydney Pollack
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 127 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate