Yentl

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Yentl

PG

1983

2h 14m

Musical

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

78 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Rebbe Mendel is a single father who teaches the Talmud, a sacred text of Judaism, to the boys of his small Polish town. Behind closed doors, he also instructs his daughter, Yentl, despite the fact that girls are forbidden to study religious scripture. When Yentl's father dies, she still has a strong desire to learn about her faith -- so she disguises herself as a male, enrolls in a religious school, and unexpectedly finds love along the way.

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Critics Consensus

Barbra Streisand takes on every conceivable role and acquits herself well in Yentl, a musical epic with a humdrum score that's given considerable lift from its writer-director-star's sheer force of will.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Barbra Streisand’s Yentl is rhapsodic yet informal; it’s like a gently surprising turn of phrase.

Sep 11, 2023

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Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

Yentl is a debut that its exacting star can be justly pleased with.

May 12, 2023

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

[The musical score's] treacherous glissandi and searching wit find their ideal interpreter in Streisand's incredible Flexible Flyer of a voice. After two decades of hard work, that voice is still as smooth as mercury poured over dry ice.

May 12, 2023

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Yentl would be an impressive achievement at any point in a director’s career. The fact that this was Streisand’s debut makes it even more notable.

Feb 20, 2024

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

A stunning film that explores gender roles and queer themes far ahead of its time, with Barbra giving what may well be the best performance in her unparalleled filmography.

Feb 13, 2024

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Streisand's still-best directorial outing.

Jun 13, 2023

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Ed .

I liked the way it made me feel. Some <people> don't care for this film. It's not my favorite, nor was Isaac Bashevis Singer thrilled with Barbra's elongating his short story, but <where is it written> that this couldn't be made into a feature film? Fun fictoid: Dolly Parton passed on the role of Yentl because she couldn't nail down the accent.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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Ciaran S

Yentl is a good musical with the heart and charm that makes you feel like home.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/24/24

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Michael H

When I saw this film in theaters, I thought there was too much music and it was a bit long. With that said, this is one of my favorite movies. I have since seen it many times and I love every song. I know Barbra wasn't fond of Mandy Patinkin, but I think he is a revelation and many are big fans of his work in this film, including me. I am grateful for this directorial debut. It helps that I am a BIG Streisand fan.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

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First name L

Yentl conveys a beautiful vision, especially for a director's debut feature. There are solid performances, withHowever, the very music that aims to convey these feelings overshadows dialogue too often, when a good musical is a balance of both. I love musicals, but Yentl indulges to a point most have grown to hate. Less is always more and the songs could be much stronger.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/01/24

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Alec B

The musical/song score elements don't work at all which is a real shame because the core of the story is quite compelling and moving at times.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

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David Michael B

Great! Still holds up and is much better than you'd expect. The direction is a bit uneven and some odd choices were made (like arbitrarily singing in VO and lip synching) but it's a very ambitious film that Barbra generally did a great job with

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/20/23

Full Review

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Barbra Streisand

Director

Barbra Streisand

Yentl

Mandy Patinkin

Avigdor

Amy Irving

Hadass

Nehemiah Persoff

Reb Mendel 'Papa'

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Synopsis

Rebbe Mendel is a single father who teaches the Talmud, a sacred text of Judaism, to the boys of his small Polish town. Behind closed doors, he also instructs his daughter, Yentl, despite the fact that girls are forbidden to study religious scripture. When Yentl's father dies, she still has a strong desire to learn about her faith -- so she disguises herself as a male, enrolls in a religious school, and unexpectedly finds love along the way.

Director: Barbra Streisand
Producer: Barbra Streisand, Rusty Lemorande
Screenwriter: Jack Rosenthal, Barbra Streisand
Distributor: MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: United Artists
Rating: PG
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 9, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Surround

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