The Chosen - Quick Movie Review

Title: The Chosen

Release Date: 1981-08-01

Genres: Drama


High essence:

"In 1941, in Brooklyn, teenagers Reuven Malter (Barry Miller) and Danny Saunders (Robby Benson) are on opposite teams in a schoolyard softball game."

Medium essence:

Dennis Schwartz:
  • Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz An engaging family drama religious film that explores the ideological differences between two teenage Jewish friends, one the son of a prominent Hassidic rabbi; the other the son of a prominent secular scholar, who is an orthodox Jewish Zionist.
  • Director Jeremy Paul Kagan (The Big Fix/By the Sword/Heroes) and writer Edwin Gordon base it on the 1967 best-selling novel by Chaim Potok.
  • In 1941, in Brooklyn, teenagers Reuven Malter (Barry Miller) and Danny Saunders (Robby Benson) are on opposite teams in a schoolyard softball game.

Low essence:

Dennis Schwartz:
  • Danny's father is the Hassidic Rebbe Saunders ( Rod Steiger ), who raises his son in silence to teach him humility and expects him to follow the families long tradition of being rabbis.
  • Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz An engaging family drama religious film that explores the ideological differences between two teenage Jewish friends, one the son of a prominent Hassidic rabbi; the other the son of a prominent secular scholar, who is an orthodox Jewish Zionist.
  • Director Jeremy Paul Kagan (The Big Fix/By the Sword/Heroes) and writer Edwin Gordon base it on the 1967 best-selling novel by Chaim Potok.
  • It's a moving, well-acted and well-told offering on being Jewish in modern times and of the importance for Jews of Israel becoming a recognized country, but at times it was tedious and lacked dramatic moments.
  • In 1941, in Brooklyn, teenagers Reuven Malter (Barry Miller) and Danny Saunders (Robby Benson) are on opposite teams in a schoolyard softball game.
  • After a frosty start to their relationship, the two scholarly boys begin a hearelt friendship despite their differt upbringing.

Source:
http://www.sover.net/~ozus/chosen.html