Where to Watch The Chosen (1981) in the US

What it's about

Brooklyn 1944. Despite being the same age, having grown up within blocks of each other, and both being Jewish, late teens Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter don't really know each other - knowing each other only by name and by sight - as Orthodox Danny stays largely within his own Hasidic community, which is just fine in Reuven's mind. An incident between the two which on the surface threatens to tear them even further apart instead blossoms into a friendship between the two. They begin to learn more and more about the other and their lives, which for Danny includes becoming a rabbi, solely as it is a several generations old family calling. In Reb Saunders' mind, he who rules his family by strict Hasidic traditions, Danny becoming the next rabbi in the family is not even a question, despite Danny, deep in his heart, wanting other secular pursuits which he has not told his father. Conversely, Reuven has modern sensibilities, being raised in a two-person household by his widowed academic father, Professor David Malter. Ultimately, the views of each father may tear Danny and Reuven's friendship apart, regardless of whether each son believes wholeheartedly in what his father espouses. Professor Malter is a confirmed Zionist who believes in a secular Jewish state in Palestine, while Reb Saunders believes such thinking against Judaism, with only the Messiah being able to lead his people into such. As they grow into adulthood, Danny and Reuven becoming his own man may further alter their relationship.

Cast and crew

Director

Jeremy Kagan

Writer

Chaim Potok, Edwin Gordon, Jeremy Kagan

Starring

Maximilian Schell, Rod Steiger, Robby Benson

Details

Release date

Apr 30, 1982

Language

English, Hebrew, German

Country

United States

Awards

5 wins

Where to Watch The Chosen (1981) in the US — common questions

Where to watch The Chosen in the United States?

The Chosen is available with a subscription, free with ads, or free with a participating library card in the United States. Watch the movie with a subscription on Shout! Factory (HD). Watch the movie free with ads on Plex Channel (HD), Plex Player (HD), The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, and YouTube (HD). Watch the movie free with a participating library card on Kanopy.

Can I stream The Chosen or do I have to rent it in the United States?

Watch the movie with a subscription on Shout! Factory (HD).

Can I watch The Chosen for free in the United States?

Watch the movie free with ads on Plex Channel (HD), Plex Player (HD), The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, and YouTube (HD). Watch the movie free with a participating library card on Kanopy.