But Sabrina's initial rough exterior is still presented in terms of a kind of casual tomboyishness, in this case, Julia Ormond's bespeckled visage rather than Audrey Hepburn's ponytail. The young woman must put away childish, gender-ambiguous play and adopt a feminine norm, to show she is a 'real' woman, worthy of David's class. Contemporary norms in terms of how males and females are portrayed in the two versions, are perhaps more manifest in how the newer version seems to take a more damning view of David's love of fast women and fast cars and his frequently boorish behavior with the fair sex. But by virtue of replicating the plot, Linus' equally crass seduction of a vulnerable young woman to preserve a corporate merger is still viewed in a reasonably tolerant light.

Also, in terms of the characteristics of both versions of Linus, Linus remains a much older man, which raises the question of how much better his relationship with Sabrina will be, although the viewer may take relief in the fact that she has been saved a marital 'merger' with the self-centered and irresponsible David. In the newer version, Sabrina's intelligence and strength of personally are more forthrightly expressed in her behavior with both David and Linus, which shows how it is no longer acceptable to show a woman's transformation purely visually, or in terms of her cooking and fashion skills, as it was in 1954.

However, although gender...

Sabrina originally falls for 'the bad boy' and then she absconds with a father figure. A woman is incomplete until she finds her true love, even if she has been to Paris, even if she is a pediatrician. Gender stereotypes have altered in the sense that male rakishness, as personified by David, is less tolerantly viewed, and it is no longer acceptable to see a woman's destiny only as physical transformation and marriage. But the values of the films remain the same -- love triumphs over all other possible values or life options. There is no question that Sabrina will not be happy marrying an older man.
In some sense, however the feminine values of Hollywood also have remained the same. Linus' focus on money is shown to be hollow, and the love that drives Sabrina to 'improve' herself, becomes an elevating force for the business, for the introverted Linus, and teaches an important lesson to David. The feminine value of love, presumably the value of the feminine audience of the film, reigns triumphant, reflecting common cultural and social myths, if not the practices and norms of real life.

Works Cited

Sabrina." Directed by Billy Wilder. 1954.

Sabrina. Directed by Sydney Pollack. 1995.