Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

The Chosen

Play trailer Poster for The Chosen PG 1981 1h 48m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
77% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Danny (Robby Benson) and Reuven (Barry Miller) become good friends, even though they are from different branches of Judaism. Danny, a Hasidic Jew, meets Reuven, a Zionist, while playing stickball. Although they have differences, their friendship grows strong. When they reach college, outspoken support by Reuven's professor father (Maximilian Schell) for a national Jewish state causes conflicts with Danny's conservative father (Rod Steiger), leading to tension for the friends.

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The Chosen never came alive for me. I respected what the filmmakers were trying to do, and I admired the ambitious period production, but I never really cared about these people. Rated: 2.5/4 May 8, 2019 Full Review Bruce McCabe Boston Globe Jeremy Paul Kagan's The Chosen is singularly brilliant, an impressive achievement that puts it in the select company of the best films of the year. Apr 27, 2018 Full Review Michael Booth Denver Post A dedicated team of faithful adapters created a wonderfully rich movie version of the book in 1981, and the emotion and intellectual depths of the story resonate through the decades. Mar 28, 2008 Full Review Kat Halstead Common Sense Media Led by four strong performances, this coming-of-age drama about friendship across two very different Jewish communities is a thoughtful and engaging adaptation of Chain Potok's 1967 novel. Mar 11, 2025 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews An engaging family drama religious film that explores the ideological differences between two teenage Jewish friends. Rated: B- Sep 27, 2012 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Based on Potok's book, this well acted fammily drama set in Brooklyn after WWII, centers on the friendship between two Jewish boys who beong to different ideological factions Rated: B+ Sep 25, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (68) audience reviews
Jonathan L Absolutely incredible TV Series!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/24 Full Review Audience Member Oops! I didn't see this one, it was the recent The Chosen Christmas Movie I saw! If you see this my thoughts are about the new Movie: I love to support anything that brings light to more Love and Light in our world. If you are expecting a secular style movie that reflects a style that brings more anxiety than calm then this film is not for you. If you are looking for some deep meaning and great Christmas music that tells a story in a slow and purposeful manner then this is the movie for you!! Happy to support this film maker!! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member More admirable than it is entertaining, The Chosen portrays a realistic relationship between two school boys who are torn by the religion of their parents. The only thing hampering it is the fact that it's rather dull. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member It is wonderful when a movie truly opens you to a whole new world not only through your eyes but your heart and even your soul as "The Chosen" has done. The script and acting are first class with an ending that allows for more thought provoking discussions. The only negative aspect I perceived is that I believe some scenes could have been drawn out a bit longer so that their emotional impact could be fully felt by the audience. Yet still a brilliant movie even in today's times. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member benson turns in a great performance Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member This is one of those films that I had heard of and meant to see but didn't until recently. What an excellent film. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and the actors. Take some time and watch this film. A wonderful portrayal of two young men who are very different but turn out to more alike then they could ever imagine. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Chosen

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All Cast and Crew

Jeremy Kagan

Director

Robby Benson

Danny Saunders

Barry Miller

Reuven Malter

Rod Steiger

Reb Saunders

Maximilian Schell

Professor David Malter

Hildy Brooks

Mrs. Saunders

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
Harry and Son 30% 35% Harry and Son Watchlist Reds 90% 82% Reds Watchlist Urban Cowboy 70% 80% Urban Cowboy Watchlist One on One 78% 73% One on One Watchlist Chariots of Fire 84% 80% Chariots of Fire Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All The Chosen photos

The Chosen

The Chosen (1981) The Chosen (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Danny (Robby Benson) and Reuven (Barry Miller) become good friends, even though they are from different branches of Judaism. Danny, a Hasidic Jew, meets Reuven, a Zionist, while playing stickball. Although they have differences, their friendship grows strong. When they reach college, outspoken support by Reuven's professor father (Maximilian Schell) for a national Jewish state causes conflicts with Danny's conservative father (Rod Steiger), leading to tension for the friends.
Director
Jeremy Kagan
Production Co
Chosen Film Company
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 20, 2019
Runtime
1h 48m