Sophie's Choice

On this date in 1982, "Sophie's Choice" was released.

William Styron wrote the novel with Ursula Andress in mind for the part of Sophie, and Slovak actress Magdaléna Vášáryová was also considered. Meryl Streep was very determined to get the role. After obtaining a bootlegged copy of the script, she went after director Alan J. Pakula, and threw herself on the ground, begging him to give her the part. Pakula's first choice was Liv Ullmann, for her ability to project the foreignness that would add to her appeal in the eyes of an impressionable, romantic Southerner. However, Streep prevailed, and her performance was unanimously praised, often cited amongst the best acting performances in film history.

Mike Nichols was the first director approached to direct this film, but he firmly refused. In an attempt to change his mind, it was suggested that he direct the New York scenes set in the 1950s and that the flashback scenes set in Nazi-occupied Europe be directed by his friend Milos Forman. This notion fell apart almost at once, and Streep called it "a terrible idea" when she found out about it, many years after the film's release.

Streep not only learned a Polish accent but also learned how to speak German and Polish in order to have the proper accent of a Polish refugee. She reportedly learned the Polish from one of the assistants working on the film who happened to speak it.

Streep did the final scene (her choice) in one take and refused to do it again, saying that as a mother, she found it too painful and emotionally draining.

This was Kevin Kline's second film. "The Pirates of Penzance" (1983) was filmed first, making it his film debut, however, due to delays in post production, it was released after "Sophie's Choice."