Three years ago, I began, in the study hall of my middle school cafeteria, to draft a list. I titled it “Movies EVERYONE Should See In Their Lifetime.” I wanted everyone to fall in love with the movies I had, so I began to add all of my favorite movies to this small, half-a-google doc list. I started taking suggestions, and looking at today’s list, I could still tell which movies were suggested by whom. This list became somewhat of my legacy. My friends quiz me on my claims that I know quotes from “every movie on the list” (which is only somewhat true), people I’ve barely even met already know about my list, and my Instagram polls get pretty heated when I claim Ethan Hunt is way better than James Bond. The natural next step was to share it with everyone, right? Every week, I go through a different movie that managed to make a list that now strains to stay one one page. What I liked, what I didn’t, where you can watch: you have found the movie you’ve been looking for, and it won’t take you a lifetime to see it.

Sabrina (1954)
Year: 1954
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Rating: n/a (likely PG)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
The original from last week’s feature, Sabrina (1995), this Sabrina follows a similar storyline. A chauffeur’s daughter, this time played by Audrey Hepburn, has a crush on the youngest son of the family her father works for, but he takes no notice of her. She later moves to Paris for a year, finds her independence and consequently becomes beautiful. When she returns, the now engaged son falls for her, but his older brother Linus, now played by Humphrey Bogart, will stop at nothing to keep them apart. One of Hepburn’s earlier starring roles, this acclaimed film is well respected among those from the decade.
What I liked: Of the two adaptations, this Sabrina is my very favorite. I didn’t plan on ever writing about a black and white movie, but it seemed a shame to leave this one out. It’s sentimental and beautiful, with the glitter of a typical Audrey Hepburn performance. Charming, funny, and very watch-able, I’ve deeply enjoyed every time I watch it. It presents emotion in a complex way, that, mirrored in perfectly quotable dialogue, provides insight into certain human truths about social class and unrequited love. A romantic comedy before the genre became formulaic, this is the kind of film that leaves you warm at heart and content at mind.
What I didn’t like: Like I noted before, this is a black and white movie. I do not know why these are so unpopular for this generation of viewers, but it is important to include in this review for the sake of knowledge. It’s also perhaps longer than some would like, since much of the story is filled with respect for the score and flowery dialogue.
Conclusion. I can’t get enough of this film. Just thinking about it makes me happy. It’s a beautiful little weekend movie, perfect for the soft tendrils of hope as winter turns to spring. It is a comedy, while still a think piece, detailing the idiosyncrasies of love in its realest-and falsest-form. What the remake lacked in craft, the original surpassed in leaps and bounds. Bogart’s best romance since Casablanca, and Hepburn’s best character since Roman Holiday a year previous. Sabrina is delightful, and deeply worth the watch. This film is available on YouTube and Amazon Prime from $2.99.