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Yentl

Play trailer Poster for Yentl PG 1983 2h 13m Musical Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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Yentl

Yentl

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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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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/11/2023
Barbra Streisand’s Yentl is rhapsodic yet informal; it’s like a gently surprising turn of phrase. Go to Full Review Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times 05/12/2023
Yentl is a debut that its exacting star can be justly pleased with. Go to Full Review Richard Corliss TIME Magazine 05/12/2023
[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. Go to Full Review Dave Giannini InSession Film 02/20/2024
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. Go to Full Review Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) 02/13/2024
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. Go to Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills 06/13/2023
Streisand's still-best directorial outing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ed . Aug 29 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. See more Ciaran S 10/24/2024 Yentl is a good musical with the heart and charm that makes you feel like home. See more Michael H @hamichael 06/30/2024 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. See more First name L 05/31/2024 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. See more Alec B 01/09/2024 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. See more David Michael B @DMBLA 11/20/2023 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 See more Read all reviews
Yentl

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Cast & Crew

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Barbra Streisand

Director

Barbra Streisand

Yentl

Mandy Patinkin

Avigdor

Amy Irving

Hadass

Nehemiah Persoff

Reb Mendel 'Papa'

Steven Hill

Reb Alter Vishkower

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Yentl

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Movie Info

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, Barwood Films, Ladbroke
Rating
PG
Genre
Musical, Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 9, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Surround
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