SOPHIE'S CHOICE

 In 1947, Stingo (Peter MacNicol), a young, innocent, and naïve young man leaves his small southern hometown and travels to Brooklyn, NY with aspirations of becoming a published writer. Stingo sets up residence in a boarding house and soon meets his upstairs neighbors, Zofia “Sophie” Zowistowski (Meryl Streep), a Polish immigrant, and her lover Nathan (Kevin Kline). With this, the 1982 film, Sophie's Choice, begins. As Stingo becomes closer friends with the duo, he is also exposed to the bigger world around him as he lifts the veil of Sophie’s painful experiences as a former prisoner of the Holocaust and deals with the oft-manic behaviors of Nathan.

This film is a masterclass in acting by Streep. There is a reason she won the Oscar for Best Actress, and why her portrayal in this film is often cited as among the best of her illustrious career. Her portrayal is astonishing. This movie is also the film debut for Kevin Kline (he had been in a few TV productions prior) and he most assuredly holds his own in a role that is also very challenging, as he revs in and out of a character that we later learn is quite delusional. MacNicol as well, was very early in his on-screen career in this film, and while he portrays Stingo wonderfully, his southern accent thickens and thins throughout the film. When this is juxtaposed with Streep’s consistent perfection in several languages and accents, it lessens the strength of his overall performance.

Streep’s performance is a step above the movie itself, which suffers from a crisis of identity. Whose story is this? While Streep seems to be the focal point, the story is narrated from Stingo’s point of view from an older version of his character. The central theme of the film is one of loss. Sophie’s losses throughout her life are surely the most harrowing and lead to the film’s most memorable and disturbing scenes. But we also experience Nathan’s loss of the cognition of reality and Stingo’s loss of innocence.

Sophie's Choice is an amazing film that I would rate as a B+ or A-, while simultaneously giving Meryl Streep an A++++++! I intentionally held out this movie to be the last in my 2022 quest to see every film performance of Ms. Streep. It was a perfect way to finish my goal. Thanks to all who took the journey with me through my posts and who provided feedback and input throughout the year!