The Chosen

In 1940s Brooklyn, two Jewish boys from different backgrounds form an unexpected friendship in this thoughtful and well-acted 1981 adaptation of Chaim Potok's novel from director Jeremy Paul Kagan. Robby Benson (the Matthew Broderick of his day) gives a characteristically earnest performance as Danny, a Hasidic Jew and son of a rabbi (Rod Steiger), with Barry Miller costarring as Reuven, who is being raised in a progressive household headed by a strongly Zionist father (Maximilian Schell). As the teenagers get to know one another, the contrasts in their families—one deeply rooted in religious tradition and the other focused on the changing contemporary world—both challenge and fuel their friendship (Reuven, initially appalled by both the seemingly backward rules Danny is forced to observe and by his sheltered existence, takes him to see his first movie). But as the debate over the creation of the state of Israel takes center stage, their bond is threatened by the very faith they seemingly share. While the DVD transfer for The Chosen is far from pristine, the disc features some notable extras, including audio commentary by Kagan, and archival interviews. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)