Kramer vs. Kramer

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry
Directed by: Robert Benton
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
1979

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Unhappy living with her life, a housewife (Meryl Streep) decides to leave her workaholic husband (Dustin Hoffman) and young son (Justin Henry) to discover who she really is. This completely changes their world, and in the time apart, father and son bond very closely. Just when things seem to be getting back to normal, the mother returns and wants her son. The family threatens to be torn apart in court.

Review:

Tim: Measuring in terms of Academy Awards, this film ranks up there with the best of them. It won five trophies, for Best Picture, Best Actor (Hoffman), Best Actress (Streep), and Best Director. That is pretty impressive.

The film itself is pretty good. The movie is powerful, drawing our emotions out as we get caught up in the family struggles we see before us. Hoffman is tremendous in his transformation from a bad father to an incredible one. Hoffman is good in nearly every film he makes, but he gives an especially moving performance here. Meryl Streep is decent in her supporting role. I thought she was good, but was a little surprised that she won an Oscar for it.

Robert Benton does a good job directing and the story is structured brilliantly. As far as family dramas go, this is quite a touching film. Watch for the scene when the son falls from the jungle gym and hits his face on the pavement and Hoffman runs him to the hospital. That scene features some of the most impressive drama of the film.

Near the end of the movie, the courtroom scenes are strong and realistic, but seem a little anticlimactic. Kramer vs. Kramer loses some of its strength when it tries to be too many things in different places. The weakest aspect of the film is undoubtedly the end "resolution," which is quite ridiculous. I understand the need for the ending, but it is so hard to believe that it takes away from the film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Wag the Dog, Tootsie, The Deer Hunter, The Graduate, Little Big Man