Sand Pebbles

UPC: 024543452096

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity]

Summary: Steve McQueen received his only Academy Award nomination for his performance in this epic-scale war drama, based on the novel by Richard McKenna. In 1926, as China teeters on the edge of political revolution in the midst of a civil war, the USS San Pablo, is ordered to patrol the Yangtze River to represent and protect American interests. While the San Pablo may be an American ship, much of the labor is actually performed by Chinese locals willing to work for American money, while stern but inexperienced commanding officer Captain Collins (Richard Crenna) frequently drills his charges, unsure what else to do. A machinist's mate with just under a decade of navy service behind him, Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) is assigned to the San Pablo and immediately makes enemies among the crew -- he prefers to do his own work rather than farm it out to others, and the one Chinese man who works by his side, Po Han (Mako), is treated as an apprentice rather than a servant. Holman also falls in love with an idealistic American missionary (Candice Bergen), while his shipmate Frenchy (Richard Attenborough) falls for a Chinese girl and - with marriage plans in mind - kidnaps her to prevent her from being auctioned off. As Holman's methods and attitudes continue to anger his comrades, they find themselves increasingly at odds with the Chinese, especially after Frenchy's girlfriend becomes pregnant and Po Han is captured by revolutionary forces and branded a traitor. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Awards: Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – null New Star of the Year - Female – null Best Director – null Best Original Score – null Best Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Color Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Color Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Color Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Color Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Color Cinematography – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association New Star of the Year - Female – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: cc
Commentary by director Robert Wise and actors Candice Bergen, Richard Creena and Mako
Isolated score track with commentary by music producer Nick Redman, film music historian Jon Burlingame and film historian/screenwriter Lem Dobbs
Trivia track
Road show version scenes
The making of the Sand Pebbles documentary
Steve McQueen remembered featurette
Robert Wise remembered featurette
China 1926 remembered featurette
A Ship Called Pablo featurette
The Secret of San Pablo featurette
Radio documentaries narrated by Richard Attenborough
Radio spots
Original theatrical trailer

Sand Pebbles

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 06/03/2008

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD4.0 Dolby Digital 4.0, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 179 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: Blu-ray region A (North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia)

Brendon Hanley

The Sand Pebbles is a lengthy but engaging mix of romance, historical epic, political commentary, and adventure. Three years after his star-making turn in The Great Escape, Steve McQueen delivers what many consider his most complete performance, as the antisocial crewmember of an American ship docked in China during the civil war of 1926. Though it presents a rather generalized view of imperialism, Sand Pebbles makes obvious parallels between America's presence in China and its presence in Vietnam four decades later. Director Robert Wise struggled to get backing for the film, succeeding only when he agreed to direct the film version of The Sound of Music. It was not a major hit, though its cachet increased when it received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor. ~ Brendon Hanley, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Ted Fish  Actor 
Joe di Reda  Actor 
Ben Wright  Actor 
Alan Hopkins  Actor 
Glenn Wilder  Actor 
Loren Janes  Actor 
Charles Knox Robinson III  Actor 
Gil Perkins  Actor 
Stephen Ferry  Actor 
Walter Reed  Actor 
Jerry Goldsmith  Composer (Music Score) 
Robert Wise  Director 
Robert Wise  Producer 
Robert Anderson  Screenwriter 
Steve McQueen  Actor 
Richard Attenborough  Actor 
Richard Crenna  Actor 
Candice Bergen  Actor 
Marayat Andriane  Actor 
Mako  Actor 
Larry Gates  Actor 
Simon Oakland  Actor 
Ford Rainey  Actor 
Joe Turkel  Actor 
Gavin MacLeod  Actor 
Richard Loo  Actor 
Barney Phillips  Actor 
Gus Trikonis  Actor 
Shepherd Sanders  Actor 
James Jeter  Actor 
Tom Middleton  Actor 
Tommy Lee  Actor 
Beulah Quo  Actor 
James Hong  Actor 

Country: USA