A young self-centered con-man learns how to love from the autistic savant brother he had intended to use. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Rating: R Release Date: 11-JAN-2005 Media Type: DVD
Rain Man is the kind of touching drama that Oscars are made for--and, sure enough, the film took Academy honors for best picture, director, screenplay, and actor (Dustin Hoffman) in 1988. Hoffman plays Raymond, an autistic savant whose late father has left him $3 million in a trust. This gets the attention of his materialistic younger brother, a hot-shot LA car dealer named Charlie (Tom Cruise) who wasn't even aware of Raymond's existence until he read his estranged father's will. Charlie picks up Raymond and takes him on a cross-country journey that becomes a voyage of discovery for Charlie, and, perhaps, for Raymond, too. Rain Man will either captivate you or irritate you (Raymond's sputtering of repetitious phrases is enough to drive anyone crazy), but it is obviously a labor of love for those involved. Hoffman had been attached to the film for many years, as various directors and writers came and went, but his persistence eventually paid off--kind of like Raymond in Las Vegas. Look for director Barry Levinson in a cameo as a psychiatrist near the end of the film. --Jim Emerson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Great Item:
I bought this DVD on Saterday & recieved it in the mail on Friday. I thought I was buying a used DVD but this one seemed New & still had the plastic over it like a new one usually does. This pleased me because I only paid close to three dollars plus shipping. I'm very pleased with this product.
Great Movie With A Decent Depiction Of A Person With A Disability:
RAIN MAN is an excellent film that came out in 1988 when autism was relatively unknown. Though no one person on the autism spectrum is likely to exhibit all the traits Raymond Babbitt does Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of him is humane and relatively accurate. Tom Cruise is also excellent as Raymond's handsome self absorbed brother, Charlie, and I had almost forgotten what an appealing actor Cruise was as a young man. The plot is not too realistic but the movie is so well acted and the setting as the two men... more info
Rainman:
I'm a big fan of Dustin Hoffman and the part he played in this movie was one of his best characters. I can watch this movie over and over and it still brings tears to my eyes.
Questionable, potentially harmful:
The one star is provided for the portrayal of autism's essential awkwardness.
However, it's only one star. The film exasperates me, disabled also, by perpetuating the syrupy sentimentality that disability carries some compensating ability - here (as usual) mathematical genius. Nature's not like that, sorry to say. What you're good at, you're good at, disabled or not. I specialised in languages because I love language, not because I have epilepsy. Yet, more and more this nonsense is ground out. Cases... more info
