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Rain Man (1988)



Rain Man (1988)




8/10



Starring
Dustin Hoffman
Tom Cruise


Directed by Barry Levinson


Wow!
That’s practically the only word that can describe how I felt after watching Rain Man. The movie is extremely captivating, and there’s no way you won’t marvel at Dustin Hoffman’s acting. Do not let the time of its production deter you from seeing it, it is a classic and it is amazing.

Rain Man is one of those dramas where, by the end, you’ll agree with critics that it’s one of the best when it comes to storytelling. The movie shows that it’s possible to bond with autistic individuals while also challenging the stereotypes often attached to them.

Note: Not all autistic individuals possess the abilities displayed by Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) in this movie, but they are humans like us, with feelings.

The movie makes the best use of its two leads, as we see them display emotions in a way that feels real. Both actors did their best to make the situations they found themselves in believable. The ending is one I truly enjoyed—the writers didn’t go overboard, unlike the future writers of I Am Sam (starring Sean Penn). They kept the flow as grounded and believable as possible.

Rain Man is about two individuals: Charlie (Tom Cruise) and Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Charlie didn’t connect with his father when he was younger, and they grew apart. After his father’s death, Charlie discovers that his father left his multimillion-dollar estate to his brother, Raymond. The shock isn’t just that everything was left to his brother, but that he even had a brother—a secret Charlie feels was unfairly kept from him.

Charlie goes to meet his brother, only to find out that Raymond is autistic and under the care of a doctor. Feeling cheated twice (first by being kept in the dark about his brother and then by being left out of the will), Charlie decides to kidnap Raymond. He demands that the doctor pay him $1.5 million from Raymond’s inheritance, or he won’t return him.

Charlie’s plan seems simple since Raymond is autistic, making it almost like kidnapping a child. But autistic individuals have specific needs, and soon, Charlie starts to regret taking his brother.

The movie was both a commercial and critical success, earning numerous Oscar nominations. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Dustin Hoffman took home the award for Best Actor.

If you haven’t seen Rain Man, go buy the DVD now.

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