Yentl (1983)

A Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training.

Director:

Barbra Streisand

Writers:

Jack Rosenthal (screenplay), Barbra Streisand (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, Amy Irving, Mandy Patinkin

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbra Streisand	...	Yentl
Mandy Patinkin	...	Avigdor
Amy Irving	...	Hadass
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Reb Mendel 'Papa'
Steven Hill	...	Reb Alter Vishkower
Allan Corduner	...	Shimmele
Ruth Goring	...	Esther Rachel
David de Keyser	...	Rabbi Zalman (as David De Keyser)
Bernard Spear	...	Tailor
Doreen Mantle	...	Mrs. Shaemen
Lynda Baron	...	Peshe (as Lynda Barron)
Jack Lynn	...	Bookseller
Anna Tzelniker	...	Mrs. Kovner
Miriam Margolyes	...	Sarah
Mary Henry	...	Mrs. Jacobs

Storyline

Eastern Europe, 1904. A Jewish woman, Yentl, has a thirst for knowledge but is prohibited from learning due to the restrictions of her religion. When her father dies, she sets off to increase her knowledge, posing as a man in order to gain admission to a Jewish religious school.

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Plot Keywords:

gender bender | girl pretending to be a boy | girl disguised as boy | gender disguise | triple f rated | 

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Taglines:

Nothing's Impossible

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

6 January 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Йентл

Filming Locations:

Blewbury, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$341,768, 20 November 1983, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$40,218,899

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ladbroke, Barwood Films, United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby 4-Track Stereo (Dolby Magnetic 35mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Diane Lane auditioned for the role of Hadass. She later became Barbra Streisand's stepdaughter-in-law when she married Josh Brolin.

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Goofs

When Yentl sings "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" her glasses are laid down in front of her. They have modern temple and ear pieces. In other scenes Yentl's glasses are the old-fashioned, wrap-around-the-ear-style glasses.

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Quotes

Avigdor: I can't believe this, I'm arguing with a woman!
Yentl: It's not the first time.

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the closing credits: This film is dedicated to my father... and to all our fathers.

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Connections

Referenced in Happily Divorced: The Back-Up Fran (2012)

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Soundtracks

The Way He Makes Me Feel
(uncredited)
Music by Michel Legrand
Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Performed by Barbra Streisand

User Reviews

Brilliant Directorial Debut From Streisand.

A very different type of musical/drama. If you watch unbiased, I think you will find it has a little something for everyone. The film has beautiful direction, wonderful performances, lovely music, some sly humor, and is truly inspirational.

Barbra Streisand had wanted to make this film since 1968, but everyone in the industry told her she was crazy. In 1979, she was still determined to make the film, even if the studio's weren't. She was turned down by every motion picture company at least twice, until finally in the early eighties, MGM/UA picked up the project. Made on a then-above average budget of about $14 million, YENTL was released to mostly positive reviews and eventually grossed a surprisingly strong $50 million in the US alone and did twice as well around the world. The only disappointment is that Streisand was snubbed by Oscar.