Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

The title Kramer vs. Kramer brings to mind a film about two people, formerly married fighting over their kid who is stuck in the middle of their feud. It has the potential for high drama and tense courtroom scenes full of malice and bitter resentment. Sounds like a real winner.

Don't get me wrong, there is some of that but Kramer does better than that. It follows the complex relationship between a working man and his 7-year old son as the newly separated man struggles to take care of them both. It shows the pain that forms between former spouses as they try and navigate life as best as they can. It shows the pain and heartache that comes with both loving their boy so dearly. There's a realness and a vulnerability that is extraordinarily hard to discount.

It does not dawdle and within minutes a solemn Joanna Kramer tells her husband she is leaving him and he can hardly believe her words. What comes next is trouble balancing work and his home life. There is an emotional toll that comes understandably since they were together for over 7 years. Their neighbor does not help matters.

The frustration manifests itself in outbursts over breakfast and anger directed pointedly at others. The most vulnerable is little Billy who is a cute kid, but dearly misses his mother. At first he and his dad don't always see eye to eye. He does all the typical kid things. Refuses to eat food, disobeys and causes messes. The best example is the notorious ice cream seen where he defiantly starts eating from a pint of ice cream against his fathers wishes. It's not pretty.

Work is hardly getting any better; in fact it's getting worse as Ted has more responsibilities to worry about at home. His friend and superior is not happy with what he's seeing. On her part, Joanna seems mostly out of the picture, still ending cards to Billy faithfully. His only friend becomes the also separated Margaret (Jane Alexander) and they act as confidantes.

One significant moment occurs at the playground where Billy falls from the jungle gym and cuts himself before his father rushes to his crying sons aid and runs him to the emergency room. He stays with his boy through all the stitches and tears, solidifying their bond and his resolve to continually be there for his boy.

On the work front Ted is regretfully let go and rushes to find another job. On the home front Joanna is back in New York and a custody battle is in the making. However, neither parent understands what they have subjected themselves to. Things get ugly and it is something that neither Ted or Joanna wanted. They don't want to make each other hurt, all they want is their son. It's a complex flood of emotions and feelings as a product of character assassinations. There can be no nuance only "yes" or "no" and that's the way the court will decide the outcome.

When the process is done it is decided that custody of Billy will be awarded to mother. Gasp! However, what Ted does next is more noteworthy. He goes home to his boy and with the greatest of fatherly love he tells his boy he will be going to his mother. Billy will have so much fun with his mommy and they will get to see each other a lot. He is strong and positive for his boy.

Then, in a scene mirroring their earlier morning, they calmly make french toast as a team, happy father and son together. Joanna asks for a meeting and Ted goes down to meet her. Her decision is yet another surprise and this time he peeps through the elevator with a smile waiting downstairs while she goes up to see her boy. It is very taxing to work through divorce. For all parties involved so Kramer vs. Kramer ends at the happiest place it could realistically.

I admire the portrayals however because Hoffman's character is far from an angel (sometimes prone to outbursts) and yet he acknowledges his shortcomings and proves just how all encompassing his love for his son is. Meryl Streep on her part is relatable but it is still difficult to reconcile her leaving. By the end however,  it is quite easy to feel sympathy for her and she too proves to be a well-meaning, all be it, flawed individual.

The scene that really solidified this film for me had to be when Ted is reading to his son from The Adventures of Tintin. It's a classic moment and it hit home because it was a story I read many a time with my own father and will hopefully get to read to my own kids. That's what makes movies truly wonderful. When they transcend time and place making it possible for us to relate to them on even the most basic or mundane level. That is part of the reason Kramer worked for me. At it's most intimate it's about connections. Between men and women and fathers and sons. Not always pretty but always a integral part of life.

4.5/5 Stars

Little Big Man (1970)

Although the film certainly had so good parts for some reason it did not quite jell with me. Focusing on the positive first, this was a revisionist western that tried to depict an alternative picture of the American west from the eyes of Native Americans. Although not perfect it was trying. Dustin Hoffman also gave an impressive performance that found him drifting between the worlds of "the White man" and "the Indians."

Here is where I get into the main problem that I had with the film. Most of it had to do with age and casting. It was brave and somewhat strange that Dustin Hoffman portrayed his character from his teen years up until he was over a century old. For the most part Hoffman pulled it off. I also was kind of uncomfortable with his sister Caroline who looked like she was 30 even though she was only supposed to be a child. Then, you have Faye Dunaway. That had to be the strangest thing in the film. Although younger in real life, she was Dustin Hoffman's adopted mother for a time and she played it up.

In some ways this film reminded me a bit of The Butler because we have a main character who grows old in front of us and he ultimately has a role in many diverse bits of history. Like that film, Little Big Man is quite interesting and at times entertaining, but the implausibility of the plot can get to you.

In defense of this film, I really did not know what I was getting myself into and so it surprised me with its mix of violent drama and asprinkling of comedy. I would have liked to have seen more of Faye Dunaway and Martin Balsalm, but it is what it is. Chief Dan George was the breakout character for sure. He was very enjoyable to listen to as he mentored Little Big Man.

3.5/5 Stars

The Best Films of Dustin Hoffman

1. The Graduate
2. All The President's Men
3. Kramer vs. Kramer
4. Tootsie
5. Midnight Cowboy
6. Papillon
7. Lenny
8. Rain Man
9. Straight Time
10. Marathon man
11. Straw Dogs
12. Kung Fu Panda
13. Stranger Than Fiction
14. Little Big Man
15. Finding Neverland
16. Wag the Dog

Tootsie (1982)

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Terri Garr, and BIll Murray, this comedy film follows a fiery actor as he tries to find work. Despite his skill, no one wants to work with Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) and so he masquerades as a woman to get a job on a soap. However, soon he gets so caught up in his role as Dorothy, he cannot get himself out. His character is so popular on the soap that she is renewed forcing Dorsey to endure it even longer. Then he finds himself befriending a shy actress on the soap (Lange) while he starts neglecting another actress friend (Garr). Along the way he has many awkward moments and romantic entanglements. The worst of these comes when he must reveal who he is (only his roommate and agent know). At first it causes pain but ultimately honesty is the way to go. This film was reminiscent of screwball comedies and it had some very hilarious moments. I have to say Hoffman pulled it off.

                                                 4/5 Stars

The Graduate (1967)

Some may see this film as a comedy drama that is not in the category of great movies. However I feel if nothing else, The Graduate is culturally significant because it ushered in an age in the late 1960s where films focused on trying to attract younger audiences. Along with its good writing this film was one of the forerunners in using popular music in its soundtrack.

*May Contain Spoilers

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and Katherine Ross with direction by Mike Nichols, the film opens with Benjamin Braddock returning home from college. He has excelled in many ways and yet he feels bored and alienated from his parents. However the naive Benjamin soon finds himself in an affair with an older woman. This further confuses him as he figures out what to do with his life. His unknowing parents want him to date a girl attending Berkeley. Things become complicated since it turns out to be Mrs. Robinson's daughter. Not wanting anything to happen between Benjamin and Elaine, Mrs. Robinson sabotages the relationship and tries to marry her daughter off while her own marriage goes down the tube. Benjamin who is ultimately in love with Elaine crashes the wedding and takes her away to face an unknown life ahead. With the help of a memorable Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack, this film ushered in a new age geared toward the younger generations.

4.5/5 Stars

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

The film stars Jon Voight as a naive Texan and Dustin Hoffman as Ratso Rizzo, the bum who initially cons him and eventually befriends him. Voight comes to New York expecting to make money off of rich city women as a male hustler. However, his callowness leaves him broke. That's when the crippled, coughing, stealing, and nasally-voiced Ratso invites him to stay in Rizzo's home on a condemned lot. Because they are both just trying to survive on the streets of New York, they befriend each other. When they are not walking the streets, stealing, or trying to bring in money, they talk and we slowly see into the pitiful lives of Joe and Ratso. Since winter has hit, Ratso gets ill so they decide to head out to Florida. On the way Rico (as he wanted to be called) spent his last breath. Both actors have powerful performances and Nillson's Everybodys Talking is a nice added touch to the soundtrack.

4/5 Stars

All the President's Men (1976)

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