Meryl Streep has received a number of accolades and awards for her acting over the years, possibly the best being that many of the younger actresses have publicly proclaimed Meryl as their role model. But you need not see any other movie than Sophie's Choice to see why she has been so universally acclaimed. This is no doubt the best single featured acting by a female in any single movie, similar to Robert DeNiro's in Raging Bull or Taxi Driver. Meryl's Sophie is a person who is naive, jaded, innocent, guilt stricken, soft and gentle, hard as nails, loving and giving, and both practical and poetic to a fault. She is a classic tragic figure, a lesson in how to deal with the horrors of life and how not to deal with how those horrors haunt you. She is funny, soft and sweet, and you want to put your arms around her. Then you realize that underneath that childlike woman is a woman who has given up on childhood. She is a study in contradictions, speaking English, German, and Polish to survive at all costs. Then along comes Nathan, expertly portrayed by Kevin Kline (possibly one of his most challenging and multi-layered roles), and her life takes another turn. But we see all this through the wondering, innocent eyes of Stingo, and the terror, love, laughs, friendship and alienation he experiences, we experience. This is primarily due to a fantastic portrayal of Sophie by Meryl. And yes, the key scene -- The Choice of Choices -- is possibly the most painful scene ever on film, and how Meryl interprets Sophie during this scene is, by itself, worth an award! I love this movie. Someone once saw it for the first time, and commented, "I didn't think I would like it, especially because it was such a downer at times. But it was so good!" Excellent summary.