A Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training.A Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training.A Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 6 wins & 17 nominations total
- Peshe
- (as Lynda Barron)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBarbra Streisand hand-picked Mandy Patinkin for this movie, and he politely declined several times because he did not like the script. He was eventually invited to Streisand's house where they could discuss the parts he wanted to change. He then agreed to be in the film.
- GoofsThe final scene (on the ship to America) begins with a Jewish child supposedly reading a book, while following his reading with a finger on the lines of text. The book is visibly in Hebrew, language were reading is done from right to left. Yet, the child's finger goes from left to right.
- Quotes
Yentl: Why is it that every book I buy, every bookseller has the same old argument?
Yentl's Father: You know why.
Yentl: I envy them.
Yentl's Father: The booksellers?
Yentl: No, not the booksellers, the students. Talking about life, the mysteries of the universe and I'm learning how to tell a herring from a carp.
Yentl's Father: Yentl, for the thousandth time, men and women..."
Yentl: [cuts him off] have different obligations, I know, but...
Yentl's Father: [cuts her off] and don't ask why.
Yentl's Father: [sees her disappointment] Go on, get the book.
Yentl: Thank you, papa!
Yentl's Father: The shutters, darling.
Yentl: We don't have to hide my studying from God, then why the neighbors?
Yentl's Father: Why? Because I trust God will understand. I'm not so sure about the neighbors.
- Crazy creditsAt the very end of the closing credits: This film is dedicated to my father... and to all our fathers.
- ConnectionsEdited into Barbra Streisand: Papa Can You Hear Me (1984)
- SoundtracksWhere Is It Written?
(uncredited)
Music by Michel Legrand
Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Performed by Barbra Streisand
First of all, the music is magnificent. Michel Legrand wrote songs that are both perfect for the movie and can be taken out of context as concert material (some of them, anyway--"Papa, Can You Hear Me?" is somewhat of a stretch). However, I was supremely disappointed that Mandy Patinkin doesn't sing a note in this movie. Obviously, the movie was meant for Barbra--it was HER baby--but still. Why cast Mandy as your leading man (and he was very appealing, I must say) in a "movie-musical" and not write a single song for him? Gah.
And to everyone who says that the movie is not credible because Barbra could never pass as a man, I say listen to the soundtrack. There's a lyric in "Tomorrow Night" (the one about her wedding to Hadass) that says "They may have eyes but they don't see,/They never really look at me./People are blind!/How else would everyone believe me?" Yentl didn't think that her plan would ever work, but people are easily deceived by her man's clothing.
Anyway. I liked this movie very much, and I certainly recommend it, but I can see how, if one can't stomach Barbra Streisand, it might be a bit jarring and obnoxious.
- crazyeightyeight
- Jan 24, 2004
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $40,218,899
- Gross worldwide
- $40,219,251
- Runtime2 hours 13 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1