Well, it took me 21 years to watch this movie.Literally, the first time when I saw this movie was when it was released and I was back then a kid of 9 years who barely could understand the delicacy of human characters portrayed in the movie.And finally when I watched the movie again, I was 30 and boy oh boy,I was blown over.What a performance by Dustin Hoffman!!!Is it his best so far?Well, may not be, coz he is such a fine actor and he has so many good movies in his kitty.But truly it was one of his most memorable ones.And Tom Cruise, oh man, this bloke can act.I have always been so much skeptic about his acting skills.But I am happy that I have been proved wrong.He can act, thats for sure and this movie is a documentary proof of it.The best thing about this movie is of course the chemistry between them, a spoilt brat and an autistic person.The director handles such an issue with such panache that you are compelled to emote with the protagonists.Valeria Golino did an excellent job in her small role.She really sparkled in the elevator scene.The rest of the cast did a fine job, too.Overall, it is a memorable movie backed by power house performances.Don't ever take the risk of missing it.
Add a Review
-
SmileysWorld28 December 2001Dustin Hoffman's performance as Raymond Babbitt is,bar none,the best acting performance I have ever seen.I have never seen an actor get so deeply immersed in a character than Hoffman does in this film.He is excellent here,and he deserved nothing less than the Oscar he won for it.As for Tom Cruise,his performance as Raymond's childish and hotheaded brother is also worthy of note.To watch his character slowly shed his ignorance throughout the course of the film was indeed a delight.If you have not seen it,don't deprive yourself any longer.Buy it.It's a keeper.
-
arvid_gerge6 June 2004I was thinking of the way different movies seem to be good. Some have lots of action, others a bunch of special-effects. But then it strikes you, that what represents real depth, real quality is when a movie can be good without those features. When it's the dialogue, the story and the acting that strikes you. This film has really only two characters, all others play only minor roles (Cruise's girlfriend has some importance though). Two characters basically, and one dialogue - that's all you need when you've got a script as good as this, and two such great actors. Only that is brilliant. But this film also has such fine, very true episodes, small stories in the larger film. One example is when Ray watches court TV with the working class woman and her many children out in the countryside...it's such a fine picture, just outstanding. ALL IN ALL A GREAT FILM!
-
hitchcockthelegend4 March 2008It is something of a great cinematic achievement that Rain Man became the great film it clearly is because the story surrounding it is interestingly Hollywood in itself.
Four directors, six screenwriters, two cinematographers, eight producers, writers strikes, crew change, and a studio fighting for its life.
All of the above are common knowledge but it doesn't hurt to remember these facts when viewing the award wining triumph of a movie that stands the test of time today. The film is so simple in structure it really needed something special to pull it out of the prospective banality of being "just another road movie about finding oneself", Rain Man achieves something special by tackling its subjects with very sensitive hands and splicing a believable human concept into the story via the incredible shows from its two leading men.
Dustin Hoffman gives a magical moving performance as the Autistic Savant Raymond, the ultimate complement I can pay the performance is that it really is believable, both moving and clever rolled into one artistic result. Tom Cruise is equally as great in a role that called for drastic layer changes, a role that demanded much conviction from the actor taking it on, and Cruise gives the role much depth as he goes from shallow bastard to a very emotive and feeling human being, it's a great show that stands up to reevaluation these days. A performance that seems to have sadly been forgotten in light of Hoffman's film stealing show. With a film such as this you pray that the ending can do it justice, and I'm glad to say that there is no pandering here, it's an ending that says so much because it doesn't cop out, I thank god for those rewrites because the endings to the original scripts would of had me booting the TV set out of the window.
Essential cinema. 10/10 -
Jules1628 January 1999I have seen this movie probably 7 or 8 times in the past three years, wrote a paper about it for my college film class last semester, and basically regard it as my favorite movie of all time. Where to begin with the praise for this movie? Let's start with the acting. Dustin Hoffman is my favorite actor, and has been for a while. I'd watch him in any role. I was amazed at the way he was able to pull off this role. I've never seen a more deserved Oscar win. The vacant stare, the monotone voice, the screaming, it was unbelievable. Each time I watch it I am floored by his talent. Tom Cruise is also good, the villain of the story who undergoes such a subtle change that it's almost not visible until nearly the end. He is, however, perfectly suited for the flashy, egotistical character of Charlie, and I think he did a great job. The directing was unobtrusive and beautiful, for the most part just letting the action unfold, which is exactly the way it should have been done. It's a feel-good movie that does that and more, and I think nothing I've seen in the movies is as touching as the scene in the motel where Charlie discovers who "Rain Man" really is. I give this movie a 9.5 out of 10. Absolutely wonderful.
-
I am one of the few people who can personally relate to Raymond Babbit's condition. I was diagnosed with autism a long time ago. Because of this, I have tougher standards when it comes to movies that deal with mental or physical disabilities. Too often, I see films patronize these people as saints, even when they do almost nothing for themselves throughout the film. In my view, when it comes to dealing with "disadvantaged" people, I feel these figures should honestly overcome the odds despite or even because of their disabilities, or be recognized for whom they are (in a supporting light) for both their good and not so good traits ("Rain Man" takes the latter approach). I have no qualms when I say that I was not inspired by the "based on true events" stories of "The Elephant Man," "Radio," and "The Blind Side," because I felt these movies patronized disadvantaged people whom I felt had little agency for themselves.
But, "Rain Man," on the other hand, gets it right. Almost EXACTLY right. And it gets a rare 10/10 from me too.
Let's start with the treatment of the Raymond Babbit character. He has mid-functioning autism, and he will be like that for the rest of his life. Though he's quick with math and card counting, he will never understand the concept of money or be able to function on his own. And the film wisely does not set him up as a figure to be hailed. Admired? Perhaps. All the same though, while Raymond does grow a little in that he allows a little more flexibility into his daily schedule and begins to share a bond with brother Charlie, he's still a mostly static character has some very positive (math and memorization) and very frustrating (takes things too literally, obsessive fears of the unknown world) characteristics.
The real hero of the film, is his brother Charlie. And Charlie undergoes a REAL transformation. You actually watch him grow and change as he forces himself to take care of his brother. By the time he was trying to make a case to become his brother's guardian, I honestly believed his words and felt he had undergone a dramatic, yet subtle, change. The film handles his arc very delicately here; lots of small moments lead to the progression of his character.
As almost everyone has stated before, the acting is superb in this picture. Dustin Hoffman is perfect as Raymond, absolutely perfect. His facial ticks, his refusal to look into eyes, his meltdown when he hears the smoke detector, it's all there. He truly sets a golden standard when it comes to playing autistic characters, or any character with a mental disability, for that matter. And Tom Cruise is perfectly cast as the yuppie brother Charlie. Admittedly, this does play right into his 1980's persona. But the way he transforms from being so immature and ignorant to becoming a caring person is so honest, so well done. I know it's easy to bash Tom Cruise these days, but when I watch this movie, I can't help but hold very high admiration for him.
"Rain Man" has held up well since it's 1988 release (my year of birth, in fact). Even today, though we know far more about autism, "Rain Man" still remains a smart insight into the condition. "Rain Man" gets both its story, and the issue of autism, RIGHT. And that is why it will continue to be appreciated by generations of film viewers for years to come.
(Oh, and did I mention that Hans Zimmer's film score, his first to be nominated for an Oscar, is awesome as well?) -
MovieAddict201623 November 2005Barry Levinson is one of the great screen directors of our time. He's most notable for being able to evoke subtly comedic discussions amongst his leading characters, save the rare occasion when his strained efforts backfire ("Toys" comes to mind). "Rain Man" (1988) is his crowning effort, his best achievement I can think of off-hand. It's considered a drama but it's also a true odd couple comedy, about two opposites who learn they have one common bond: their kinship.
The Cruise plays Charlie Babbitt, a wealthy car dealer living the high life in California. He's just gotten in a shipment of Ferraris and he's going to make a killing on an upcoming deal for all of them, when his entire background comes back to haunt him in a single unfortunate moment during his newly acquired and quite happy life.
Charlie's father has just died, leaving him an old sports car and rose bushes. But more painful than the fact that his father has died or that he was left simply with a car and some prize-winning rosebushes is the fact that Charlie had tried to put his ill-fated past behind him, and now it has caught up with him again. He has to face the reality of his father once again.
This isn't really evident the first time you watch the movie. Charlie is angered at the fact that he got nothing more than some bushes and a vehicle, sure, but he admits he expected nothing more. What really angers him is that he has to face his father, dead or alive, once more; either through faded memories or by the realization that he is now dead and their friendship was never repaired.
When Charlie finds out that his father's entire estate has been left to a single trustee, he schemes around and unmasks who the trustee really is -- his older brother he never knew he had, Raymond Babbitt (Hoffman), who lives in a homey mental institute and quotes the Bud Abbott and Lou Costello "Who's on first?" charade when he gets nervous.
Charlie confronts his brother, who seems as though he doesn't recognize him. And in a moment of weakness, Charlie kidnaps his brother from his home, drives him back to California, and attempts to squeeze the money out of Raymond, who has no holding on the concept of money at all.
Despite his lack of understanding regarding monetary value, Raymond is an idiot savant, and Charlie takes advantage of Raymond's mathematical skills by taking him to Las Vegas to count cards. After achieving a fortune they are thrown out of the casinos and left to face charges of kidnapping. The problem is, by the time it's all over, Charlie has formed an odd sort of bond with his brother. Long after the laughs settle the emotional impact of the story sinks in.
The ending is the sort of rare conclusion that brings tears to the eyes. Throughout the film, Charlie is an arrogant, ignorant, greedy businessman who cares of no one but himself. By the end, however, he has learned more than he has in his entire lifetime from the brother he never had. And unlike a lot of the buddy films out there, we get to see the bonding between Charlie and his big brother, Raymond, form on a daily basis, until it is brought to a standstill.
Dustin Hoffman gives his best performance in "Rain Man," one of such unmatched strength and brilliance that we often feel that we are really watching an autistic man on screen. Raymond Babbitt is one of the most memorable characters you will ever encounter as a viewer, and though Dustin Hoffman isn't necessarily a favorite actor of mine, I place his performance in "Rain Man" as one of the most convincing and touching performances of all time.
Trying to put the reason that "Rain Man" is so great into words is simply impossible. It's got everything. And as humorous as Raymond Babbitt becomes, he never seems unreal or obnoxious. As I watch him every time I watch the movie, I completely forget Dustin Hoffman is playing him until I mentally remark on how well he is doing so. This is movie magic, folks.
Hollywood has a fascination with characters like Forrest Gump and Raymond Babbitt, but -- even more so than Gump -- Raymond is never annoying. (That's not saying that Gump is, but...Raymond is even more touching and realistic.) Raymond is a fair bit more impaired than Forrest, and we feel for him even more (though which is the better film I could never say).
By all means, see this movie. Drop whatever you're doing and rent it, buy it, watch it over and over. It's amazing. I don't care if I sound like a mainstream critic trying to get my quotes on the new Special Edition box of the DVD (yes, please!), I love this movie and I can't say enough good things about it. -
george.schmidt21 April 2003RAIN MAN (1988) **** Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golina, Bonnie Hunt. My all time favorite contemporary film.
Brilliant Oscar-winning Best Picture film about quick-tempered exotic car salesman Charlie Babbitt (superlatively played by Cruise) who finds himself bilked out of his estranged father's inheritance and discovering an older brother, Raymond, (Hoffman flawlessly brilliant, Best Actor), an institutionalized autistic savant, and 'kidnaps' him in their dad's Buick Roadmaster for a cross-country odyssey of self-reflection and genuine sibling bonding. Poignant, funny, and moving character study with expert direction by Barry Levinson (Best Director and appears as a mental health envoy). Ethereally Oscar nominated haunting score by Hans Zimmer. Best scene: Cruise learning why Hoffman was "sent away." Life-affirming. -
MOscarbradley27 August 2007Hollywood always believed that if a movie dealt with a serious theme in an entertaining manner it was somehow worthy of consideration which is why so many second-rate films like "Rain Man" ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. As 'Best Pictures' go "Rain Man" wasn't quite the worst of them but you can't help feeling it trivializes its subject which is played almost entirely for comedy or sentimental value. If it's enjoyable, and in its way it is, it is due entirely to the two principal performances of Dustin Hoffman, (an Oscar for best actor), and Tom Cruise, (no nomination, but thoroughly deserving of one).
They play estranged brothers reunited after the death of their father. Hoffman is an autistic-savant, (definitely qualifying as a handicap; definitely several rungs up the Oscar ladder), whose facility with numbers proves a definite plus when it comes to playing the tables in Las Vegas. (The journey from first meeting to final parting also qualifies this as a road-movie). Cruise is the initially venal younger brother who wants to use Hoffman's 'talents' for his own ends but, this being a Hollywood movie of the inspirational variety, it isn't too long before bonding takes place and at the time Cruise's persona was such that playing a bad guy wasn't really on the cards.
If anyone ever doubted in the early days that Cruise could act all they had to do was to look to this and "The Colour of Money" where he gave his Oscar-winning co-stars as good as he got. The film's director was Barry Levenson, formerly as script-writer who graduated to making his own films with the marvelous "Diner" and whose best films tended towards autobiographical pieces set in his native Baltimore. "Rain Man" represented his attempt at tackling a 'big' subject. It had all the ingredients for popular success and it gave him the Oscar but it's still a bland, formulaic film typical of what the big studios were churning out at the time. -
OriginalMovieBuff219 March 2006Rain Man is a moving story about two brothers, one a selfish yuppie named Charlie Babbitt who cares only about the importance of money and the other named Raymond who is a autistic and doesn't know anything about the importance of money. Charlie realizes that his father left three million dollars to Raymond and little to him, as he also realizes Raymomd is his brother! Charlie kidnaps Raymond from his residential home and begins a long journey and discovery that will forever change both their lives. Rain Man is a completely moving, emotional, funny, and unforgettable movie. Dustin Hoffman is one of my favorite actors and plays his most memorable role as well as Tom Cruise, who gives a great performance that helped a lot in launching most of his career. The direction by Barry Levinson is stunning and of course, his best yet. Overall, the film is a timeless classic that moves me in every way. This is definitely one of the best films of the 80's and one of my all time favorites. Yea, definitely, definitely, recommend it!
Hedeen's Outlook: 10/10 **** A+ -
ccthemovieman-113 November 2006Once again, here's a film I liked a lot on the first viewing, but less and less on subsequent ones and finally calling it quits after the third look. By then, Tom Cruise's character "Charlie Babbitt" was too much to take. It wasn't entertainment to listen and see his profane, arrogant, mean-spirited character. Yeah, he comes around to some decency in the end but it's too little-too late for me.
Dustin Hoffman, of course, gained a lot of recognition for his idiot-savant role of Cruise's brother "Raymond Babbitt." It's tough to root against a mentally- disabled person, even if he's math wizard.
As interesting a story as this is, and as is Hoffman's acting and character, Cruise ruins this film for me. For others who wouldn't be offended, I highly recommend the movie as it's an involving story and Hoffman's performance alone is worth the rental. -
bulleetz372352 September 2005This is an excellent film. Rain Man incorporates moving drama, timeless scenery and unbelievable performances from Dustin Hoffman and even Tom Cruise who up to this point in film history was known for typical chick flicks or films in which his potential was not shown, even the color of money couldn't make him look like any kind of decent actor. Yet in Rain Man he isn't bad, but I suppose it is very clear and easy to say that Dustin acts him off the screen. The screen is a simple tale of brotherly love. Dustin plays Raymond "The Rain Man" Babbitt, the long lost, supposedly autistic brother of Charlie Babbitt (Cruise). As Charlie finds out he has a brother never revealed to him by his father he feels let down and betrayed, and even more so that now his father is dead and leaving his estate, to the value of $3.000.000 to his brother, and not to himself. So Charlie in his situation decides to take Raymond away from the medical institution he was left in, and goes on a huge road trip, not willing to give his brother up, unless the institutes settles his share of his father's assets. But as this slow but intriguing film goes on, the bonds get stronger, and you can see the devotion settling in around them as they establish some common ground. And so when the end of the film comes and the brothers are ripped apart, even though really you know they should be allowed to unite it is extremely saddening. The end scene is particularly good, and very emotional, and the fact Barry Levinson has made characters the audience can genuinely care for, it means that the overall effect on the viewers is elevated to a whole new and amazing degree. It is brilliant. Don't deny this film it's worth because of technicalities and the fact it doesn't relay the correct message, and praise the quality of its creation. Which is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best and most touching film productions to ever grace the screen.
-
rmax30482317 May 2012There's nothing much new in the movies about photographic memories. We've seen them in "It's Always Fair Weather" and "Operation Madball," among others. It all depends on the use to which they're put, and "Rain Man" puts a photographic memory to pretty good use.
Tom Cruise is a selfish expensive Los Angeles car dealer who is in a financial hole. He doesn't blink when his estranged millionaire father dies back in Cincinnati. He blinks when he discovers that he's inherited nothing but an old specimen of a Buick convertible and some rose bushes, the remainder of the fortune being put in a trust for the autistic brother, Dustin Hoffman, that Cruise never knew he'd had.
Hoffman is sequestered in a local institution where he's safe. Cruise, determined to somehow get his hands on all that moolah, kidnaps Hoffman and drives him across the country in that Buick, accompanied by Cruise's girl friend, Valeria Golino.
It becomes a mismatched buddy comedy. Hoffman is a pain in the neck, always talking to himself, demanding his obsessions be met regarding food, clothing, and scheduling. Hoffman can't stand to be touched and is unable to look anyone directly in the eye. If Cruise were capable of feeling shame, he'd be ashamed to take Hoffman out in public, but in fact Cruise is so shallow that all he feels is irritation and anger. Golino is so disgusted by Cruise's self absorption that she leaves him flat somewhere along the secondary roads, leaving us with two very self-aborbed men.
Things pick up when Cruise realizes that Hoffman is not a garden variety autistic but a savant. He has an extraordinary memory for details. He memorizes half a phone book in a few hours. He can remember anything, as few people can and few autistics. Eidetic imagery, the fancy name for photographic memory, is real enough. You can show somebody a comb for a few seconds and he can tell you how many teeth there are. But it's most common in children and fades with age. At any rate, Cruise forgets all about memorizing phone books and teaches Hoffman how to count cards at a Las Vegas casino. They make more than eighty large before being thrown out of town -- enough to save Cruise's big car business.
A movie like this, with two people who are alien to one another but are thrown together by circumstances, has to be handled delicately because everyone already knows that, by the end, the two of them will have bonded emotionally. In a movie like "Groundhog Day," Bill Murray's conversion to humanity is done very well indeed. Here, the transition is a bit contrived. What apparently landed Hoffman in the institution was that he was handling Cruise as a baby and accidentally dropped him in a tub of hot water. This is supposed to be a Big Reveal and our eyes are supposed to tear up. And at the final conference, which will determine Hoffman's fate, the two brothers are left alone for a few minutes and Hoffman leans his head against Cruise's and -- sob. The scene is meaningful in the worst sense. Fortunately, it doesn't end with Hoffman's being "cured" and dancing in the streets. Instead he's packed off back to the farm where Cruise promises to visit him. That's a mature sort of ending.
Hoffman evidently put a lot of effort into learning how to act like an autistic and it pays off. Cruise is lightweight, adequate, and handsome. The Italian inflections that inform Golino's speech are exquisite. It's like listening to an Italian movie in which the phonemes almost accidentally form English words.
I hope the movie doesn't leave anyone with the impression that autistics are all savants because it's far from the truth. Nobody knows what causes it but it's present at birth. An autistic baby is quiet and doesn't care if you pick him up and hug him or not. They're fascinated by glittering objects. (Hoffman says of a Vegas hooker, "She sparkles.") They tend to repeat rhythmic movements such as banging their heads lightly against the wall. And autism is at one end of a continuum, while at the other end is childhood schizophrenia. It's a curious disorder. Experienced observers comment that when you look at the eyes of an autistic child, though they don't respond to anything you do, you just KNOW there's intelligence there. -
mattrochman30 March 2007Dustin Hoffman certainly gave a good performance. But I recall one Oscar host who said something like "your chances of winning an Oscar are high if you portray someone with a mental or physical illness" - reference to Rain Man, Philidelphia, Silence of the lambs, Shine..and the list goes on.
The interesting thing is that playing these sorts of characters may not be as difficult as many people think. That's why I have respect for actors such as Jodie Foster and Hillary Swank - they play relatively normal people, but with conviction and realism; and that makes it difficult to take your eyes of them. But I would have thought that playing a Raymond or a Forest Gump type character would be relatively elementary for these actors.
Take away Hoffman, and the often underrated Cruise, and you have a fairly mediocre, long winded and somewhat boring story. To some degree, this is because the film is a bit too pre-occupied with showcasing some of the inadvertent talents of a autistic savvant. But then again, somehow I feel that would have been fine, had the screen-writers ditched the backdrop of a film (Cruise in financial trouble and needs the inheritance money). Worse still, the backdrop made the final 30 minutes extremely predictable (money isn't everything... blood is thicker than water... blah blah blah).
Certainly watchable, but tends to drag on a bit and as mentioned previously too much a predictable background plot that required unnecessary servicing throughout the film. -
eagle_owl22 February 2005Tom Cruise stars as a used car salesman, who is angry when his father's inheritance is left to his older autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman), whose existence had not been revealed to him.
The film is built around its two assured central performances. Hoffman gives an excellent portrayal of a man with autism, totally unable to comprehend the real world around him. Cruise is no less impressive. While he is essentially playing to type, his character's attitude changes so gradually throughout the film that you barely notice, and without Cruise's subtle performance this transformation would be much less credible.
This is a highly commendable film, which, despite tackling a tricky subject, refuses to succumb to sentimentality. In giving autism such publicity, the film has hopefully helped to lessen the stigma brought on by ignorance of this condition.
Rain Man's great success is that it shows the way forward for issue driven movies in Hollywood. Its success at the box office demonstrates that taking a risk can pay off in spades, provided that the film is good enough. -
TheLittleSongbird3 October 2010I heard a lot about how good this film was, and when I saw it myself I can completely see why. Rain Man is beautifully crafted; funny, moving and startling, sometimes all at once. The cinematography and scenery is beautiful, and the music is effective. The story never loses steam or feels boring, and the script is excellent while Brian Levinson directs absolutely beautifully. The performances from the two leads are brilliant. As fantastic as Dustin Hoffmann is, and he is, his character is one of cinema's greatest triumphs and Hoffmann adeptly is hilarious, unsentimental and completely and utterly believable, that is not to say Tom Cruise should be dismissed, because Cruise is every bit as good as a character whose emotional journey ranges from confused and impatient to understanding and protective. Overall, brilliant film elevated by the two leads and the direction primarily. 10/10 Bethany Cox
-
I have to say that this is Tom and Dustin's best performances by far. They are such a wonderful duo together. I love seeing how Tom reacts to Dustin's character. Two brothers, one being successful and the other mentally challenged, are finally reunited. They both learn how to live with each other and eventually learn to love each other. As for a best picture, I wasn't too sure. But the actors will impress you. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It has wonderful characters and some great laughs. But also some very touching moments. You really have to like this movie. It's too memorable to miss.
8/10 -
This is a very entertaining drama featuring spoiled yuppie Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), whose father left his fortune to his autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Charlie did not know of Raymond's existence, and at first repulsed by him and him inheriting their father's fortune, he establishes a growing, loving relationship with him during their cross-country journey together.
It was fun and touching seeing Charlie's impatient and condescending attitude improve to mellow and understanding along the way, and all the misadventures he and his brother shared. The spot-on acting and the chemistry between the two character leads make for a good film worthy of its best picture win.
Grade A -
You can see clearly why this film is great and also how it won many awards. However, it's not accurate at all of what it is like living with an Autistic person. This is the fun Hollywood version of Autism that is super watered down and only shows the good parts about Autism, it's not accurate at all. I hope that viewers don't get the wrong impression of what profound Autism is since there are many many facets to it. If you've met one Autistic person, then you have met one Autistic person. I would still recommend this movie to viewers who are willing to be open minded and see some amazing acting along the way.
-
gbill-7487725 March 2021I'm not sure this is the most sensitive film about autism possible, as there seems to be a Hollywood glossy sheen coating all of it, but Dustin Hoffman certainly immersed himself into the role, and to its credit, the film avoided some form of miraculous transformation in his character. Unfortunately, the kidnapping that somehow doesn't end up with the police involved, the ridiculous scenes in Las Vegas (why they buy suits, how they win, how politely the head of security asks them to leave, etc), and the idea that Tom Cruise's inexperienced character could care for his brother without drama while driving him across the country has none of the authenticity that Hoffman's acting has. The film wanted to broach a developmental disability but also entertain and appeal to the mass market, and for my taste, erred too much on the side of the latter. The transformation in Cruise's character is too abrupt even though the film is long (probably too long), but it redeems itself somewhat with strong final scenes. Worth watching, but not amazing.
-
philip_vanderveken13 July 2005It's not very difficult to see why this movie won four Oscars and was nominated for four more. The academy loves movies about people with difficult lives or with a handicap. Sometimes it almost feels like they are desperate to show that they too have a heart and so a director who hasn't won anything so far just has to make a movie with such a subject and he can be sure that he will hit the jackpot. Does that also mean that those movies are always excellent? No, although I wish they were. But it has to be said, not all of those movies are bad either, take for instance this "Rain Man". That's certainly a movie that deserves a closer watch.
When the selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt hears that his father has left behind a fortune after his death, but that he won't get it, he is furious. He has never had a good relationship with his father, who threw him out as a teenager, but he sure hoped for more than a now antique convertible. And to make things worse for Charlie, he hears that all the money goes to Raymond, an autistic man who he has never seen before in his life, but who appears to be his brother. And if that shock isn't yet big enough, the man also appears to be able to calculate complicated mathematical problems in his head with great speed and accuracy, but doesn't even understand what money can be used for. Enraged by all this 'injustice', Charlie kidnaps Raymond from his residential home, but then finds out how difficult it is to live with a man who only can live with his fixed routines...
This wouldn't have been a typical eighties movie if there hadn't been a selfish yuppie in it of course, but I must say that it didn't bother me this time. The main reason for that is because it accentuates the contrast between the two men even more. Charlie has nothing else but money on his mind, while Raymond doesn't even know what money is. That's without any doubt a very smart idea which makes this movie work. And that's not the only good thing about this movie. The acting for instance is also very good. Especially Dustin Hoffman is excellent, but that has of course much to do with the role that he is playing. Still, his performance is very believable and remarkable. And even though I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan, I must say that he was really very good in this movie. The role he was playing seemed to be written for him.
All in all this is a very good movie that sure deserves to be seen. The acting and the story are far above average and give a good idea of what it must be like to live with an autistic person. I'm convinced that this movie certainly doesn't deserve a rating lower than 7.5/10. -
TaylorYee9415 October 2020The biggest element that makes up this movie is acting. The movie with personal development including connecting to certain person or self-realization is easier for both supplier and demander. Because development is a progress, the audience can see tangible growth of a story, and the screenwriter can follow guideline.
However, what differentiate 'Rain Man' is acting. Autistic Savant was rarely heard of at that time, but Dustin Hoffman's gestures, tones, and look complete Raymond in a very respectable way. Tom Cruise... I am personally not a fan of his acting because I can tell he is trying too hard to 'act'. He overdoes it and never acts natural. However, he is Charlie himself in this movie, vulnerable and lonely & strong and warm-hearted at the same time. -
ElMaruecan8225 September 2012Any movie fan remembers the iconic line from "Cool Hand Luke": "what we've got here is failure to communicate". I believe a similar diagnosis can be made about the two lead characters of "Rain Man", Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) because he's autistic, and his brother Charlie, 25 years younger, because he's a young yuppie blinded by his own ego. Both live in their world, both are their own referential; naturally, they're put in a situation where they have to interact. "Rain Man" features one of the most intriguing premises of the 80's, and although the film never strikes as a 'masterpiece', not even in style, it does deliver the emotional pay-off we all expect without recycling old archetypes or falling into sentimental trap.
Should I describe Raymond Babbit's condition? Those who know already have in mind his mimics, head-banging, 'uh-oh', his addictions to such TV programs as "Judge Wapner" and "The Wheel of Fortune" and his perfect recitation of Abbots and Costello's 'Who's on first' routine when he's uncomfortable. And to those who haven't, it's enough saying that Dustin Hoffman surpasses himself, if it ever was possible after performances of the caliber of "Tootsie" or "Midnight Cowboy". He's unbelievably convincing, capable to transcend the limits of acting. To win an Oscar for a rather one-note character is an exploit even more impressive because Hoffman manages to pull some human complexity in Raymond, making him absolutely endearing and adorable yet frustrating and scary. Raymond is a character we want to love without turning it into pity.
On the other hand, his brother Charlie is the total counterpart, young, handsome, he's a self-made man who exploited a passion for cars to sell imported vehicles. Even his girlfriend, played by the beautiful Valeria Golino is Italian, like a foreign beautiful possession, a trophy that elevates him above the others. Charlie Babbit is a character who flirts with the archetype of the young and arrogant go-getter, a role tailor-made for an actor like Tom Cruise, especially in the 80's. The talent of Cruise consists on making his character unlovable enough to laugh at his misfortunes with Raymond, but human enough to feel sad for him when he learns about his father's death, and much more, when he learns that he didn't get one cent from him, while he was full of debts. Charlie is a character we want to hate but end up giving him the benefit of the doubt.
And Charlie is so blinded by his financial problems that he's incapable to care for Raymond and take his medical condition into consideration; all he sees in him is the guy who inherited three millions from his father. At this point, I suspect the screenwriter immediately thought 'hey, in fact, Raymond is medically autistic, while Charlie is symbolically autistic; let's see if the viewers will figure that'. I don't think it takes a degree in psychoanalysis to jump to that conclusion. Anyone would see the kidnapping of Raymond coming. Naturally, the girlfriend leave them to let the adventure begin between the two brothers and both would learn how to communicate not. This is where the odd-couple/road movie formula stops. The strength of "Rain Man" is to never make Raymond change, no miracle cure, no sudden change of behavior, if there is one who's up to change, it's Charlie. And he must change, otherwise, the whole premise of the film is pointless.
The quality of Barry Levinson's film is to make a predictable turn of events work remaining believable, it also grabs our interest without an abundance of spectacular scenes, or overused emotion. It's always interesting to see a character with leadership quality, handsome and somewhat charismatic, pushed to follow an autistic man and having to deal with out-of-control situations. Charlie wants to take Raymond in L.A, but they can't because Raymond is afraid of planes, and when Raymond starts screaming in panic, Charlie understands that the road trip will follow Raymond's parameters of life. In a way, Raymond Babbit is a leading role because he leads the story. And by following Raymond, Charlie will get to know more about his brother's sensitivity and become more empathic, a word he knew nothing about. The narrative progresses and provides the film's greatest twist, when Charlie realizes he can use Raymond's savant skills.
Till now, the film is mostly remembered for the 'Las Vegas' sequence and the iconic moment when the two brothers stand on a descending escalator wearing the same suit, and the last step between Charlie and Raymond's reconciliation, a clever partnership for a rewarding pay-off. It's obvious that Charlie was mostly motivated by greed, but it's impossible not to see genuine attachment growing between Cruise and Hoffman. Both had failure to communicate their feelings, but it's by inviting his brother to communicate his inner thoughts, his fears and desires that Charlie learned the process of listening, of using another referential than his, of being capable of giving and understanding. The film follows the traditional coming-of-realization structure, and on that level, Tom Cruise never makes his changing obvious and spectacular. Indeed, both actors are so good, almost equally, because it was to Cruise to portray anger and frustration without making it forced or over the top.
Without Hoffman and Cruise, I can't imagine the film having the same impact. Yes, the screenplay is well-written, and Hans Zimmer's score has a haunting effect, but it's definitely an actors' film. It ended up winning the Best Picture Oscar in 1988, which is quite surprising considering how simple and non-Best Picture material it feels, but it did created a genuine interest for autistic condition, and featured many memorable scenes, and I guess sometimes, that's enough to touch the hearts. -
MildInconvenienceMan10 October 2012This was a good film that really helped the audience to understand autism and how much of an impact it can have in peoples lives, what I liked about it is it didn't dwell on this and instead had a great storyline that involved autism, rather than completely revolving around it like some kind of unique selling point.
Hoffman's acting was superb and it was really hard to imagine him as anything else but autistic, he really got into the character and there were no obvious moments when he clearly was not in his autistic character, which really helped the flow of the film. On the other hand Cruise is an actor who I have always disliked, and this film was no different, he played his same old cool guy character, always wearing ruddy sunglasses, so frustrating. However even for him his realisation at the end of the film was sufficient enough to carry the end of the film even though in my own eyes the film ended fairly poorly.
The ending just showed that life would carry on just as it had done before they had even met, and the most frustrating thing is that Cruise's money problems were never properly figured out, which was the whole reason he did this in the first place, yes he gambled but this never really explained the main storyline ending. As well as Cruise's reaction to his girlfriend having kissed his brother which was also unexpanded.
Other moments such as Hoffman just leaning on his brother lightly obviously showed that Cruise had made a connection, but still why could he not have done that earlier, for someone with autism that situation would have been no different to any other, as well as Hoffman telling jokes, so the story became more fantasy based than based on any kind of real fact.
It was this kind of flawed storyline which showed a lack of research while writing the film, which really showed especially towards the end of the film which prevented it from being a truly great movie. In spite of this it is still a very good movie that shows the expansion of Cruise's character although against his character type, it is still good to watch and enjoy, but lacks the realism of a film great.
Good but the key is in the detail and this film just didn't deliver in terms of realism, especially on such a sensitive and misunderstood subject. -
snlfan33006 May 2002Many people told me that Rain Man was a very good movie and that I should see it. I took their word for it, and after viewing it I've found that Rain Man was an average movie.
The Good: Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman were brilliant in this movie. They fit their characters very well and both put forth a superb effort. I also thought it was neat seeing their relationship grow throughout the movie.
The Bad: I found this movie to be quite boring many times throughout the movie. It got repetitive, and it really did not send a very strong message, in my opinion. The movie began as a story of jealousy, and ended without much emotion. After a very long and exaggerated middle, I was hoping and expecting the movie to end very dramatically. Instead, it ended abruptly and I did not feel much sympathy for any of the characters in the movie. I thought the movie was a good idea, but could have been written and directed a little bit better. Nonetheless, it was a nice movie, but I don't know if I'd recommend it to very many people.
Overall: 5/10