The Sand Pebbles
Seen it?1966 | 196 min | Drama, War
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It collected a shelf of major awards, it earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved The Thin Red Line, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 3 hr 16 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13: peril. Probably too much for younger kids.
- It's long: 3 hr 16 min.
- Made in 1966: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
85% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 1 Golden Globe: Golden Globe Awards: Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Also nominated for 8 Oscars, 5 more Golden Globes and 1 DGA Award. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$20 million worldwide on a $12 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 150K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Robert Wise
- Steve McQueenJake Holman
- Richard AttenboroughFrenchy Burgoyne
- Richard CrennaCaptain Collins
- Candice BergenShirley Eckert
- MakoPo-han
- Larry GatesJameson
- Charles RobinsonEnsign Bordelles
- Simon OaklandStawski
- Ford RaineyHarris
- Joe TurkelBronson