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The Chosen One
The Chosen One
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rob Schneider
Written by	Boon Collins; Rob Schneider
Produced by	Joe Q. Bretz; Boon Collins; Scott Dolezal; Chris Luu; John Schneider; Rob Schneider
Starring	Rob Schneider; Steve Buscemi; Holland Taylor; Peter Riegert
Cinematography	Kees Van Oostrum
Edited by	Greg Babor; Richard Halsey
Music by	Jeff Rona
Distributed by	Xenon Pictures
Release date	September 3, 2010;
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Chosen One is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by and starring Rob Schneider as a car salesman facing a midlife crisis with the aid of native Colombian shamans.^[1] It also stars Steve Buscemi,^[2] Holland Taylor, and Peter Riegert.

Plot

A depressed car salesman (Rob Schneider) is repeatedly interrupted in the act of suicide by a coworker from the Nissan dealership, a beautiful woman translator (Carolina Gómez), three native American shamans of the Arhuaco people from the mountains of Colombia,^[3] and a phone call from his mother (Holland Taylor). He finally finds faith in himself after the rest of world puts its faith in him. The sole being on earth who can save mankind from its own destruction with trust - The Chosen One.

Cast

Rob Schneider as Paul
Steve Buscemi as Neal
Holland Taylor as Ruth
Peter Riegert as Bob
Samantha Smith as Christine
George Dzundza as Norman
Jack McGee as Produce Manager
Michael Yama as Mr. Nakamuri
Carolina Gómez as Marissa
Pamela Guest as Bird Lady
Antonio Miguel Calvo as The Mama Arhuaco
Alberto Villafana as Arhuaco Jim
Yesid Villafana as Funny Arhuaco
Ian Fisher as Cabbie

Production

Release of the film was delayed for three years; this may have been due to uncertainty over how to market the film, as this movie which is primarily dramatic was inaccurately marketed as a straightforward comedy.^[4]^[5] The movie was eventually completed and released direct to video by Chosen One Productions RS LLC.^[6]

Reception

Critical response

Film Critics United, a pseudo-anonymous on-line movie review website,^[7] wrote that Schneider gave a good performance, but the film failed due to other factors including its muddled plot.^[5] Brian Orndorf described it as an attempt at a more serious dramatic role, but was critical, finding the film a failure.^[4] Qwipster found the narrative "lazy" and the plot too bizarre to take seriously, scoring it 2/5 while praising Schneider's restrained performance.^[3] DVD Verdict gave it a middling rating.^[8]

Lawsuits

There was a lawsuit from Schneider's collaborator Bob Rubin in 2008 over a fee he felt he was due for helping to arrange financing for the film.^[9]

In 2012, Schneider, his brother John Schneider, and the film's production companies (Chosen One Productions RS LLC, Chosen One TWF LLC, and The Chosen One RS LLC) were sued by financial backers to recover a $1.5 million investment.^[10] The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants had breached contracts with the plaintiffs and fraudulently induced the plaintiffs into investing in membership interests in one of the film's production companies. George and Nancy Gamble, a married couple, say that in 2008 they were persuaded to invest $1.5 million to complete postproduction work on "The Chosen One," and claim they were never repaid. According to Schneider, "The claims are flatly contradicted by the language of the contracts. The [plaintiffs] made an investment in the movie, with no guarantee of success."^[11]

On March 6, 2013, their lawsuit against Rob Schneider was moved from San Francisco to L.A. Superior Court.^[6] Legal counsel for Rob Schneider said in a statement: "The Gambles’ lawsuit is frivolous. The Gambles made an investment in the film, with no guarantee of success."

Notes

^ Bartlett, Jean (Dec 16, 2010). "Rob Schneider's Thought-Provoking Film 'The Chosen One' Asks for and Provides a Little Faith". San Jose Mercury News.
^ "Rob Schneider". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
^ ^a ^b Leo, Vince. "The Chosen One". Qwipster. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
^ ^a ^b Orndorf, Brian. "DVD Review - The Chosen One". BrianOrndorf.com. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Armstead, Christopher. "The Chosen One". Film Critics United. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
^ ^a ^b Block, Alex Ben (March 6, 2013). "Film Investors' Lawsuit Against Rob Schneider Moves to L.A. Superior Court". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
^ Armstead, Christopher (2006). "Who Are We". Film Critics United. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
^ Gibron, Bill (December 15, 2010). "The Chosen One". DVD Verdict. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
^ "Rob Schneider's Chosen Lawsuit". E! Online. Mar 5, 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
^ Tartre, Dave (Dec 3, 2012). "Investors Demand $1.5M from Rob Schneider". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
^ Kenneally, Tim (Dec 3, 2012). "Rob Schneider Sued for $1.5M by Film Investors". The Wrap. Retrieved 20 December 2012.