MGM Press Release: Yentl Extended Director's Edition

NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE
YENTL
EXTENDED DIRECTOR’S EDITION

Barbra Streisand’s Golden Globe Award-Winning Musical Odyssey Debuts on 2-Disc DVD for the First Time February 3 from MGM Home Entertainment


“Three cheers for chutzpah!”
Richard Corliss, Time

“…charming and moving...”
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Streisand gives Yentl a heart that sings and spirit that soars.”
People Magazine

“The best directing debut since Citizen Kane!”
Steven Spielberg

LOS ANGELES, CA – In turn of the century Eastern Europe, a Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy in order to pursue a religious education in Yentl, available on DVD for the first time February 3rd from MGM Home Entertainment and timed to the films 25th Anniversary. Starring multiple award winner* Barbra Streisand (A Star Is Born, The Way We Were), Golden Globe® nominee** Mandy Patinkin (“Chicago Hope,” The Princess Bride) and Amy Irving (Traffic, Crossing Delancey) in her Academy Award®-nominated role, Yentl is based on a play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer’s original short story “Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy.” When Yentl’s (Streisand) father (played by Nehemiah Persoff), who secretly tutored her throughout her childhood in the Talmud – the primary source of Jewish religion law - dies, she faces a life of female drudgery with no hope of continuing her studies. Frustrated by her feminine destiny, feisty Yentl transforms herself into looking like a boy, renames herself Anshel, and heads for the nearest Talmudic academy where she hopes to pass as a male student. There she falls in love with fellow student Avigdor (Patinkin), who in turn is in love with Hadass (Irving). After numerous complications ensue, Yentl, determined to get what she wants, leaves Europe for America to pursue her dream of serious study without needing to hide her identity as a woman.

Incorporating humor and music to relate Yentl’s journey, the film won an Academy Award in 1984 for best original score and received four Oscar nominations including Amy Irving for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction/Set Direction, and Best Original Songs including “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” and “The Way He Makes Me Feel,” both sung by Streisand. Additional accolades include two Golden Globe award wins and four nominations, and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Album of Instrumental Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

The Yentl Extended Director’s Edition Two-Disc DVD set includes never before seen bonus features such as Barbra Streisand’s Original Concept Reel, rehearsal/final film comparisons, storyboard montages for musical numbers, deleted scenes, and much more, and will be available for a suggested retail price of $29.98 U.S./$37.98 Canada. Prebook is January 17th.

* Oscar Awards: 2 wins (A Star is Born, Funny Girl); Golden Globe Awards: 3 wins (Yentl, A Star is Born, Funny Girl)
** 1995: Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama, “Chicago Hope;” 1984 : Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical, Yentl

Synopsis
The legendary Barbra Streisand shines as producer, co-writer, director and star of this radiant film about a young woman who risks everything for her insatiable passion to learn. Masquerading as a young man, she enters the Yeshiva to fulfill her forbidden desire for knowledge. But in a place where even the strongest mind can be betrayed by the body, how long can she uphold her secret before her new friends – and the young man she’s come to love – discover the shocking truth?

Special Features
The Yentl Extended Director’s Edition DVD is presented in widescreen with English Dolby Surround 5.1 sound. Special features include:

Disc One:
· Streisand Introduction #1 (Anniversary & Collector’s Edition)
· Commentary with Barbra Streisand and Executive Producer Rusty Lemorande
(Anniversary & Collector’s Edition)
· 11 Deleted Scenes (Anniversary & Collector’s Edition)
Disc Two:
· Barbra Streisand’s Introduction to Disc 2 (Collector’s Edition)
· Barbra Streisand’s Original Concept Reel (Streisand Introduction included)
(Collector’s Edition)
· The Director’s Reed (Streisand Introduction included) (Collector’s Edition)
· Rehearsal/Final Film Comparisons (Collector’s Edition)
· Where is it Written? Rehearsal (Streisand Introduction included) (Collector’s Edition)
· Where is it Written? Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector’s Edition)
· No Wonder Rehearsal (Collector’s Edition)
· No Wonder Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector’s Edition)
· The Way He Makes Me Feel Rehearsal (Collector’s Edition)
· The Way He Makes Me Feel/Final Film Comparison (Collector’s Edition)
· No Wonder – Reprise Rehearsal (Collector’s Edition)
· No Wonder – Reprise Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector’s Edition)
· Tomorrow Night Rehearsal (Collector’s Edition)
· Tomorrow Night Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector’s Edition)
· Will Someone Ever Look at Me That Way? Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison
(Collector’s Edition)
· Storyboard Montages for Musical Numbers (Collector’s Edition)
· Deleted Number: The Moon and I (Streisand Introduction included) (Collector’s Edition)
· Deleted Number: Several Sins a Day (Collector’s Edition)
· Papa, Can You Hear Me? (Collector’s Edition)
· A Piece of Sky (Collector’s Edition)
· Tomorrow Night (Collector’s Edition)
· Teaser Trailer
· Theatrical Trailer
· Photo Gallery



Yentl
Price: $29.98 U.S./$37.98 Canada (Extended Director’s Edition)
Order Due Date: January 17, 2009
Street Date: February 3, 2009
Catalog Number: M111776 (Extended Director’s Edition)
Total Run Time: 133 minutes
Rating: PG
Screen Format: Widescreen
Subtitles: English/Spanish
Closed Captioned: Yes