Up the Sandbox

This is One of Barbra's finest movies and, ironicly, did the poorest at the box office. After playing larger than life characters in her last 5 films, here Barbra plays a "normal", regular human being. A bored New York housewife who uses daydreams to escape from her unfullfulling life. There are many touching and heartfelt moments in this film, as well as very funny ones. It is a comedy/drama with depth and dimmensions. In one scene Barbra stands up to Fidel Castro with her views on womanhood and war.Yet, a little later the two have a hystericly funny scene where he reveals a "secret" to her. Barbra stands up to her domineering mother,unexpectedly, at her parents anniversary party, and...lets just say that someone ends up with something other than egg, on their face! The moments where Barbra is washing and lovingly taking care of her children, as well as the moments where she is in an abortion clinic pondering her thoughts, are heartfelt indeed. A wonderfully different and heartfelt, funny movie. I highly recommend it.

Probably the best Barbra Streisand movie nobody has ever seen, director Irvin Kershner's expose of urban angst is funny and sad but ultimately uplifting. Streisand plays a NYC housewife, sick to death of her disengaged husband, impossible mother, and overall lack of confidence. She finds release in fantasies: one moment she's frolicking with a very surprising Fidel Castro and the next she's helping to blow up the Statue of Liberty. Streisand has rarely been better. Director Kershner gets a very toned down performance out of her. David Selby, as the husband, is duly caddish and Paul Benedict, Conrad Bain and Isabel Sanford have small roles. Benedict is particularly funny as an especially inept great white hunter!

This film is one of those 70's efforts that doesn't get any great credence. Any fan of Ally McBeal would surely tip their hats to the blend of imagination and reality. This has some very prophetic moments and still stands up today. It is testament to a time when risks were taken in film making rather than today's option of remakes and rewrites. Top marks for originality and Streisand. Give it a chance. May all your films be winners - AP

Thanks to Irvin Kershner's assured surreal direction, Streisand gives a fine performance in a very unusual 1972 film. Filled with verite style dialogues and intense emotional confrontations amid bizarre fantasy sequences, UP THE SANDBOX is a treat for unaware viewers. Though the film actually espouses a rather conservative agenda, the characters don't go to extremes; they're rather real.

It's easy to see how confused audiences must have been back in the day as the film subtly segues into Sttreisand's dream life. The fertility scene in Kenya actually is one of the worst while the guerilla attack on the Statue of Liberty with the WTC in the background will give you chills.

Overall, a fascinating film with gorgeous cinematography by Gordon Willis. Non-Streisand fans can enjoy this just for the 70's style direction.

This is a top 70's flick and highly underrated. I can imagine that it caused a stir in its release and still puts some viewers off. If David E. Kelley didn't get ideas for Ally McBeal from this, I'll go hee! Wonderful performance by Babs and hits the mark nicely.