In January of 1989, I went to see this terrific film and in years since , seen it on television often and have owned the DVD for quite some time. In March of 1989, the movie took home the prize as Best Picture of 1988, at the March '89 Academy Awards ceremony.
Tom Cruise plays Los Angeles collectibles car dealer Charlie Babbitt, who discovers (after his estranged father's death) that he has a long lost and much older brother to whom his father has left $3 million and his prized car... while giving Cruise nothing (but he did get some wonderful rosebushes at his father's former residence.)
Cruise walked out of his father's life years ago and stubbornly refused to have any contact with his father or make any attempts to contact or reconnect.
The brother (Dustin Hoffman who won the Best Actor Oscar for this part) is an autistic man confined to a mental institution. Such was the fate of many o ther autistic or learning 'challenged' in the 1960s and before then. Raymond Babbitt's father had him sent there for not just this reason though, which Charlie will later discover.
Charlie , on the pretext of taking a walk with his brother, basically leads him off the property...and drives off with him. This, an effort to get half of his estate, but during their one week, cross-country journey, in trying to get back to California and save Charlie's business, which is quickly sinking in his abscence, Charlie discovers his brother is not as simplistic in nature as he first thought.
Charlie's girlfriend, who came along with him, walks out on him, feeling that he is takig advantage of Raymond and has mostly beeen taking her for granted as well, telling him his motives always seem to be self centered in nature.
As the journey through many southwest locations goes on, in clusing the memorable stop over in Las Vegas... Charlie's attitude toward his brother changes from absolute anger and frustration, to a greater understanding and sympathy or even empathy..... and he almost becomes an entirely new man.
Cruise's performance was his finest since ''Risky Business.'' While I'm not a fan in any sense, I have always liked Cruise as an actor, when he is in roles that require a true life character and greater depth in acting than say "Days Of Thunder".
Hoffman takes the riskier and more challenging role. He dares to make the character annoying and frustrating, and the combination of two superior performances makes the movie worth watching. His Raymond (Rain Man) character, is touching and 'unintentionally' funny to behold.
The audience and I could not help but laugh at the things he did, because of course, the aveneage human being would not do those things. Especially his impersonating the radio DJ and repeating over and over "97 BAM!... The Home of Rock and Roll!" or going on about needing to go to (the now out of business) K Mart to buy underwear.
Causing Charlie to have a melt down in the middle of the road and scream his head off, as he is at his wits end and not grasping why Raymond is like he is and does these things.
The ending of the film is a very realistic conclusion and I can only say for my feelings of the movie, every moment of it is worth watching ...and watching more than once. I feel Cruise was greatly snubbed in terms of Oscar consideration.
So , Ten Stars is the only rating I could ever possibly give to Rain Man.
________________
Charlie : "We're not going back to Cincinnati, Ray, so don't even start with that."
Raymond : "Course, three minutes to Wapner."
Tom Cruise plays Los Angeles collectibles car dealer Charlie Babbitt, who discovers (after his estranged father's death) that he has a long lost and much older brother to whom his father has left $3 million and his prized car... while giving Cruise nothing (but he did get some wonderful rosebushes at his father's former residence.)
Cruise walked out of his father's life years ago and stubbornly refused to have any contact with his father or make any attempts to contact or reconnect.
The brother (Dustin Hoffman who won the Best Actor Oscar for this part) is an autistic man confined to a mental institution. Such was the fate of many o ther autistic or learning 'challenged' in the 1960s and before then. Raymond Babbitt's father had him sent there for not just this reason though, which Charlie will later discover.
Charlie , on the pretext of taking a walk with his brother, basically leads him off the property...and drives off with him. This, an effort to get half of his estate, but during their one week, cross-country journey, in trying to get back to California and save Charlie's business, which is quickly sinking in his abscence, Charlie discovers his brother is not as simplistic in nature as he first thought.
Charlie's girlfriend, who came along with him, walks out on him, feeling that he is takig advantage of Raymond and has mostly beeen taking her for granted as well, telling him his motives always seem to be self centered in nature.
As the journey through many southwest locations goes on, in clusing the memorable stop over in Las Vegas... Charlie's attitude toward his brother changes from absolute anger and frustration, to a greater understanding and sympathy or even empathy..... and he almost becomes an entirely new man.
Cruise's performance was his finest since ''Risky Business.'' While I'm not a fan in any sense, I have always liked Cruise as an actor, when he is in roles that require a true life character and greater depth in acting than say "Days Of Thunder".
Hoffman takes the riskier and more challenging role. He dares to make the character annoying and frustrating, and the combination of two superior performances makes the movie worth watching. His Raymond (Rain Man) character, is touching and 'unintentionally' funny to behold.
The audience and I could not help but laugh at the things he did, because of course, the aveneage human being would not do those things. Especially his impersonating the radio DJ and repeating over and over "97 BAM!... The Home of Rock and Roll!" or going on about needing to go to (the now out of business) K Mart to buy underwear.
Causing Charlie to have a melt down in the middle of the road and scream his head off, as he is at his wits end and not grasping why Raymond is like he is and does these things.
The ending of the film is a very realistic conclusion and I can only say for my feelings of the movie, every moment of it is worth watching ...and watching more than once. I feel Cruise was greatly snubbed in terms of Oscar consideration.
So , Ten Stars is the only rating I could ever possibly give to Rain Man.
________________
Charlie : "We're not going back to Cincinnati, Ray, so don't even start with that."
Raymond : "Course, three minutes to Wapner."