The underlying message of this movie is the message of this movie is the European culture compared to the American culture. It is shown that the American lifestyle has a lack of balance between work and life. Americans are workaholics. Which can affect the well-being of a person. But ultimately will bring us all to the "American Dream". In the movie there is a huge contrast between Linus, the one who is obsessed with work and making more money to the point where work is all he thinks about, and David, who lives his life to get the girls and try out everything never working to pay for it in the first place. Sabrina fell in love with David and his lifestyle, she wanted the popularity and fashion, until she went to Paris and realized the importance of balance between work and play. She tells her father that her favorite thing about him is that he became a chauffeur just so he could have time to read his books. That is something that the American society doesn't understand, it's always work more hours to make more money so you are secure. American's look to the future instead of living in the now, but if you are always looking to the future and not enjoying the now then the future will stay in the future. Europeans work just as hard as anybody, the difference that they have is that they know when to stop working and have fun. Also, the Europeans will do something that they enjoy rather than having a job that they dislike to have security for the future. Sabrina tells Linus that in Europe it's all about pleasure, they work as hard, they just know when to quit and enjoy themselves. This is brings joy to the people of Europe, why people love to visit and never want to leave. Health is very affected by the amount time and energy is put into work. American's long work hours has a huge impact on a person's health. What will give when long hours at work are being added? The more a person tries to work more hours the less sleep, exercise, relaxation, nutrition, and outside social time they will get. People don't think of the consequence if they work through their lunch break, or stay at the office late to finish a project early. Not only is having the separate time away from work good for your physical health and can prevent illness, it is good for your mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health. All fun and no work is hard on a person, it can result in depression and a rut. People will tend to keep themselves in the rut to get to their goal. People are disillusioned when they think that money can bring them happiness. Driving an expensive car, living in an enormous house, and having unlimited material objects are only good for temporary delight. Most people who are blessed with wealth are only blessed for a limited time. Eventually, the money fades. When this happens, they do not know how to handle this seemingly irreplaceable loss. By revolving their lives around making, spending, and/or saving money, they are disheartened without it. The youth of America are taught that success comes from finding a high paying job and wearing uncomfortable, expensive clothing. Young adults are pressured to finish high school and attend a good college to earn a degree. Finding a "respectable" job, rather than working in a field of interest and enjoyment is considered success in today's world. The working world would be dominated by truly happy people if everyone would do work that they love instead of wasting energy for money and riches. Sabrina repeats the notion that working constantly is too much and playing is never going to be enough. In Europe, they understand balance between working and relaxing for their own personal enjoyment. They understand that life is meant to lived right now not in the future.

1995 saw the release of a great American romantic comedy in Hollywood tradition, "The American president", but it's Pollack's "Sabrina" that deserves the title because it's based on the 1954' classic, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart. Yet, there's more in "Sabrina" than a simple remake.There is a natural reflex from every movie buff, which is to prefer any "original" film to its remake. It often has to do with the classic status reached by the first movie, inevitably dismissing any attempt to remake it. But at the risk of sounding like another heretic, I thought Sydney Pollack's remake, if not better, is a solid match to the original acting-wise and more than anything, storytelling-wise.I insist on the storytelling department because it contradicts the idea of the original's greatness relying on its monumental cast, incomparable to the Sidney Pollack, Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear and Julia Osmond's quartet. Yet "Sabrina" approaches the two myths of Cinderella and the Ugly Duckling and ask for us to root for Sabrina, a woman who never attracted men, yet ended up being in the middle of a business scheme, until winning the heart of a businessman. No matter how fairytale, the material is, its convincingness is not to be taken for granted, and no matter how great are the actors, their transformation, their chemistry is still something that depend on the storytelling, more than the acting.And it's extraordinary how Pollack not only remains faithful to the fairytale aspect of the story and to the sensitivities of the 90's in the same time, starting with the heroine herself. Sabrina is supposed to be the Ugly Duckling, she's the chauffeur's daughter who spent most of her time in David's shadow, before finding herself during her trip in Paris. The problem with Audrey Hepburn is that she was incapable of being unattractive no matter how hard she, or the make-up and costume design, tried. Julia Osmond, on the other hand, being that unknown brunette with the same sweet charm as Juliette Binoche, with small glasses and long hair, is convincing as the not-too attractive girl on the surface.And the new script doesn't insult our intelligence by labeling her as a 'dog', she's just a shy, insecure person who had to discover her inner attractiveness before ever trying to seducing. And the Paris' transformation give much more depth and consistence to her evolution, when she comes back, we know Sabrina hasn't turned into a glamorous woman but as a confident one. Paris' effect is really palpable and makes it strangely believable that David wouldn't recognize Sabrina. I'm not saying that these details hurt the original film, but Pollack, probably moved by a humble desire to pay tribute to the 'untouchable' classic, compensated the modest cast through a particular attention to human details, that inevitably highlighted the original's flaws.And the real masterstroke comes with the casting of Harrison Ford as Linus. Ford exudes the perfect mix of seriousness and vulnerability. He easily passes as a grown-up man who spent so much behind the office that someone had to show him the preciousness of life, and how it can't afford to be wasted. And all through his interactions with Sabrina, we keep on wondering if he's aware that he's falling in love, and if it's reciprocal. Both Linus and Sabrina are part of a hypocrisy that betray an endearing defenselessness, and makes them two persons ironically fitting one another. And while Pollack could have kept the movie's track and bring David to make the deal possible, he also develops his seemingly one-dimensional personality.I liked Holden in "Sabrina", and his chemistry with Hepburn was so sincere it really veiled any hint of sentiment toward the elderly Bogart. But Holden's shining moment when he accepts to marry his fiancée almost felt like a deus-ex-machina. How could David finally give Sabrina up so eagerly? Well, Pollack gave me satisfying answers by making David grow up in maturity, by taken into consideration that his character's arc had to be closed by the fact that for the first time, he'll allow his brother to live his life. And strangely, the romantic comedy, also turns into a subtle and positive satire about family relationships in business, allowing Nancy Marchand to shine as the authoritarian, yet compassionate mother.What I admire most in the remake is Pollack's attachment to make the story more believable and endearing by today's standards, he knows he won't reach the same legendary status as the original, but he knows that this very status asks for believability. His characters are extremely well-developed, he gives a spectacular supporting cast to his movies, and the whole film is such a delight to watch, that nothing could have ruined it. The ending was the only hit-or-miss, and while I thought the hug between Hepburn and Bogart was awkward, just a kiss in Paris wouldn't have been enough to ruin the whole efforts.But I wasn't surprised, that Linus would apologize to Sabrina, considering the scene where he broke her heart, a scene whose emotionality clearly surpasses the original. I loved that he asked for her help, because he needed her, and in return open her heart on how much she needs him. That's what I call, a beautiful romance, comedic or not, it was the perfect conclusion for a movie that had so much to prove to be respected, and that even managed to be superior to the original film, and it's one of the rare instances where I'm not hesitant to give it a higher rating.It doesn't diminish the classic status of Billy Wilder's "Sabrina", Julia Osmond is not Audrey Hepburn, and Harrison Ford isn't Bogart, but like I said for the previous film, good ingredient don't necessarily make a good meal, what matters is how the director makes his interactions believable and emotionally appealing. And Pollack brilliantly succeeds in both exercises.

"Sabrina" is a pretty easily likable romantic comedy, a genre of which I am a fan, even though it is hard to find good ones. This is a decent film, but now that I am comparing it to the 1954 original, it is easier for me to be critical. This movie has a good plot, some humor, and decent romance. Also, I am pleased to find movies like this with so little objectionable content, making it appropriate for the whole family, though the younger ones may not be completely interested. I hate to complain about this movie, but there are a few downsides. It runs too long overall, and it slows down too much toward the end. If you ask me, Harrison Ford doesn't really fit his role and seems to old and lifeless for the part he is intending to play. Also, I'm afraid Greg Kinnear simply cannot fill the brilliance of William Holden's shoes in the original. Julia Ormond takes Audrey Hepburn's role fairly well, but none of these three can possibly compare to the excellence of the original cast. The old film really was not outdated and didn't need to be updated, as films like "The Shop Around the Corner" or "The Parent Trap" did. Despite those things, I'm not going to criticize this film any more. It's good for a date film or when you don't want to think too hard but just want to be entertained and happy. I give it a slight recommendation, but I'd suggest the original with more priority.*** out of ****

Will go back to reread some of the quality IMDb user comments here. A couple of high level commentators can be viewed---above...Is Mom (1954) or Daughter (1995) "SABRINA" better?While I like Daughter SABRINA a tad better---I love both. There are NO LOSERS in this gentle debate...Both SABRINA versions not only have quality leads---they have great supporting casts. Here, maybe I like 1995 SABRINA a bit more---since the supporting characters are more familiar to me...As I write this, Nancy Marchand (as the Larrabee Matriarch) has made yet another one of her dry quips... Angie Dickinson well portrays the emptyheaded once-trophy wife of David's fiancée's equally wealthy family - with Richard Crenna as her husband -And Lauren Holly is the result of the Tyson merger of beauty to brains/wealth - the smart yet beautiful Elisabeth Tyson, MD. - the first sensible female that woman chasing younger brother David has ever fallen for!!!The dialogue in 1995 is silky, gently ironic...and hey...all you would be scriptwriters, movie producers, etc. Study BOTH SABRINAS for how to make quality romantic films. +++++ (NOTE Amazingly, only one (clothed) short pre bedroom scene is in the 1995 version. 99% of this movie succeeds with just great script, production, casting, acting!!! What a novel concept!)Don't waste too much time debating what essentially is personal preference over which wonderful visual desert (Sabrina 1954 or Sabrina 1995) is better....Just see both!!!