Let me start off by saying, the movie wasn't bad. It just wasn't good. It was decent to be kind. The movie was based on 'The Chosen' by Chaim Potok (My Name is Asher Lev, Davita's Harp), which was published in 1967. The book itself is an incredible read and would recommend reading the book as opposed to seeing the movie. To start off, the film quality was pretty awful as was the sound. The casting was less than stellar, with the exception of Maximilian Schell who was great as Professor David Malter. Robby Benson, who in his 70's peak of teenage heartthrob, was waning by this point when he portrayed Danny Saunders. Benson's acting seemed a tad bit forced, kind of like Donny Osmond trying to come back as a pop star in the 80's. Benson's line, 'Freud was a scientist, not just a dreamer!' still makes me cringe at the thought of it. Barry Miller was relatively decent (once again, being kind) of Reuven Malter, however didn't quite fit the book's description of him. The movie's transitions weren't particularly smooth, and they didn't age the characters well at all. The adaptation of the book to script left a lot to be desired. This movie, truly, did not do justice the book. Hopefully, someday, someone will make a remake of it.
Review of The Chosen
