Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
246 toothpicks, "counting cards" and lessons in love., March 15, 2004
Have you ever had to communicate with someone on a different wavelength as you; for example because he speaks a foreign language and you don't have an interpreter, or because he is unable to communicate verbally at all, or maybe just because you keep misunderstanding each other? If so, you know what a frustrating experience it is to have virtually no control over the situation and over making sure that you're actually understood. And in precisely this situation finds himself Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), personification of the 1980s' yuppie, a used car dealer with major money problems whose only - tentative - personal attachment is to his current girlfriend Susanna (Valeria Golino). Because having learned that except for a few rosebushes and a vintage 1949 Buick Roadmaster his recently-deceased father has left virtually all of his considerable fortune to his autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) - a brother he didn't even know he had - Charlie decides to kidnap Raymond from the Cincinnati facility where he lives, take him to California, and demand half the inheritance in exchange for his brother's return.
Now, Charlie isn't the greatest communicator himself; at least as far as listening goes; he is used to talking people down, and if that alone doesn't do the trick, he starts to yell. This, however, just doesn't work with Raymond, who lives in a world of his own and, unable to express emotion in any other way, falls into a nervous tic when feeling threatened. So for the first time in his life Charlie has to learn to accept another human being for what he is, and work *with* his bewildering methods of communication rather than against them. And subtly, very subtly, Charlie begins to change, until at last he no longer wants to relinquish custody of Raymond even after having been offered a substantial amount of money: because now money is no longer an issue at all; now it's all about genuine love for a newly-found brother and very special person.
"Rain Man" is ostensibly told from Charlie's perspective; through his, the "normal" guy's eyes we perceive Raymond's habits, tics and strange behavioral code. And even if Charlie is easy enough to snub for his superficiality and materialism, his frustration at his inability to communicate with his brother feels genuine and is something we can empathize with(albeit perhaps inadmittedly). Tom Cruise plays Charlie with a finely-tuned mix of audacity and reluctant emotion; turning a role that seems to start out as just another Cruise cliche into a character who hesitantly comes to realize his own complexities and shortcomings and learns to appreciate sensitivity, compassion and love - yet, without ever taking the role that treacherous step too far into sentimentality.
Still, important as Charlie's character is for this movie's narrative, this is from first to last Raymond's story; and by the same token Dustin Hoffman's, because the two individuals are in fact inseparable: As Hoffman once explained in an interview, he rejects the notion that acting is merely about playing a role, or that the term "my character" could ever appropriately describe his approach to a role; emphasizing that in every part he plays, he truly has to *become* the individual in question to fully be able to understand and portray him. As such, his achievement with Raymond Babbitt is breathtaking indeed; for in a role which not only imposes severe limitations on his ability to communicate traditionally but also gives him virtually no opportunity to express emotion, he conveys Raymond's frailties, unexpected strengths and, significantly, his profound humanity in a manner that lets you forget you're even looking at a piece of acting, thus accomplishing that rare feat only attained by the greatest of actors - and even among Dustin Hoffman's spectacular performances, this one stands out in particular. (He did, of course, win both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for this movie; but somehow even the industry's highest awards don't begin to express the significance of his achievement.)
Raymond Babbitt's character was based on several real-life autistic persons; and at a time when little was known about the condition even in the medical community, contributed substantially to a greater understanding of those afflicted with it. Not all autistic people are so-called "savants" like Raymond, i.e. possess genial mathematic or other abilities within the shell separating them from the outside world (and conversely, not with all of them that shell is as thick as in Raymond's case; although intricate routines do tend to play a rather important role) - so don't go rushing off with them to Vegas for an exercise in "counting cards," at least not before you've verified that they can memorize entire phone books (at least up to the letter "G"), count the toothpicks in a pile on the floor with one glimpse of an eye and determine the square root of a four- or five-digit number within a matter of seconds without so much as looking at an electronic calculator. Chances are you'd do them tremendous harm, not to mention make a complete fool of yourself.
Dustin Hoffman reportedly fought hard for this movie's production even after several directors (including, inter alia, Stephen Spielberg) had bowed out; and in one of those rare un-Hollywood-like moments even managed to maintain the movie's sense of authenticity up to the very end by prevailing on the writers to drop the projected ending, which would have had Raymond staying with Charlie. - In addition to Hoffman's awards, "Rain Man" received the coveted Oscars for Best Movie, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director (Barry Levinson, who also played the psychiatrist called upon to evaluate whether Raymond is fit to stay with Charlie), plus a number of other American and international awards. For once, the industry collectively got it right. But even if this movie hadn't received a single award, it would still remain one of recent film history's greatest and truly unforgettable moments - definitely, it would.
Also recommended:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew
Awakenings
Lorenzo's Oil
The Graduate (40th Anniversary Collector's Edition)
The Color of Money
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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rain Man Review, December 17, 1999
In response to the movie "Rain Man", I felt that the role played by Dustin Hoffman (Raymond Babbitt) was unbelievable. Dustin Hoffman is a great actor as the Rain Man, and demonstrates incredibly well how an autistic person reacts towards certain things as well as changes in his routine life. He captures autism in such a way that you could actually believe in his performance. I was amazed at the way he was able to pull off this role. Tom Cruise's role (Charlie Babbitt) was equally as brilliant, who is the villain of the story who undergoes such a sharp change that it's almost not visible until nearly the end. Charlie is shown to be a selfish and greedy jerk at the beginning of the film, but as mentioned before, his gradual understanding of his brother's disability, and extra abilities, are what eventually leads to the grasping of a strong relationship with his brother. Tom Cruise, in my opinion, was perfectly suited for the flashy, egotistical character of Charlie, and I think he did a great job. Furthermore, the directing of the film was beautiful, for the most part just letting the action unfold, which is exactly the way it should have been done. I also believe that "Rain Man" portrays many aspects of autism quite well. The movie is an introduction to autism for most people who see it for the first time. In summary, Charlie Babbitt, played by Tom Cruise, is a self-centered car dealer, and leaves on vacation with his girlfriend Susanna, played by Valeria Golino. However, on route with his girlfriend, he unfortunately learns that his father who threw him out as a teenager has passed away, and decides to show up at his funeral for only one reason, to get the money his father left behind. Upon arriving for the funeral, Charlie learns that his father left him a now antique convertible, which he originally loved and wanted in his teen years, but which his father never let him drive. Unfortunately for Charlie, he can't get the money which he truly desired, since he discovers that it has been given to a mental institution Charlie is unaware of. Charlie therefore decides to take matters in his own hands and goes to the institution to find out what their connection with his father was. It is only then that he learns that he has a big brother by the name of Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman, who is autistic and lives in this institution. Charlie tries to convince the manager of the institution to let him have the money, since his brother can't do nothing with it because he doesn't even understand the concept of money. The manager of the institution refuses to give him the money, because he promised Charlie's father that he'd make sure to leave it to Raymond no matter what happened. Charlie is enraged by what has happened and by his father keeping Raymond's existence from him his entire life. As a result, Charlie takes Raymond out of the institution without the permission of the manager, and this is how Charlie gets to know his big brother Raymond. The two begin a long road trip that will lead them to an understanding of each other, and I believe that this trip across the country was the start in the relationship between the two brothers. This movie was very emotional at some times, and had it's funny moments as well. I believe that "Rain Man" is truly a work of art, and a film that everyone can watch, understand, and enjoy.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest films ...., February 20, 2001
I recently watched Rain Man, for what was probably at least the tenth time as it is on television alot. It is one of the best movies of the 1980s', and it has without doubt, one of the best performances ever seen on film. Dustin Hoffman was amazing as Raymond Babbitt, an autistic man, whose younger brother, Charlie, played quite well by Tom Cruise, abducts him from the institution he is in in order to get his share of inheritance money. The character of Charlie is very selfish and greedy, but as the film goes on he changes for the better. He takes Raymond clear across the country by car because Raymond won't fly. Watching this film again made me realize that it is really one of the greatest films I've seen. It's a bittersweet story of brotherly love, dramatic at times, but has a great deal of comedy blended in. This is a film to be cherished for generations. I highly recommend Rain Man. The performances by both Dustin Hoffman, who won the Oscar for best actor(very well deserved!), and Tom Cruise are outstanding. I believe this to be one of the first films that Cruise had a real substantial character with depth to him. Watch Rain Man...you won't be disappointed.
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