Written by: Barry Morrow & Ronald Bass
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Jerry Molen, Ralph Seymour
Rating: [3.5/5]
Everyone deserves the possibility for some growth in life, especially when presented with an opportunity to do so during a time of great stress. For some it occurs during a time of tragedy or through the discovery of an older brother he never knew he had as seen with what the protagonist of Rain Man encounters. From nothing but a nuisance all the way to brotherly love, this feature tells quite the journey for these two brothers and what they represent to each other.
Trying to settle his late father’s estate, Charlie (Tom Cruise) learns the majority of the estate has been earmarked for a facility holding an older brother he did not know in Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Battling with autism, Charlie tries to utilize the agreeable nature of Raymond in order to get his hands on the inheritance he adamantly believes belongs to him even at his brother’s expense.
Tom Cruise has portrayed unlikeable characters throughout his career, but it proves difficult to find a performance where he plays a bigger jerk than Charlie in Rain Man. A guy with his own aspirations in ways to make ends meet and has the determination in accomplishing it in any way he deems fit, which includes using his brother with a mental disability to do it. Something quite heinous, especially with actions so heartless towards a family member. This sets the groundwork for the growth he experiences in becoming a better person because of the interactions he has with this brother.
With so much money on the line, Charlie needs to convince not only Raymond he represents a good presence in his life, but also the caretaker of the funds allocated from the father’s estate. Part of this development for him has a phoniness because no one changes overnight but bits and pieces of it certainly begin to build towards a better person. This especially becomes evident when things ultimately go wrong with the automobiles he tries to import putting his back against the wall. It allows for a look into his psyche and how this circumstance expands beyond the relationship he has with his brother but also with his love interest Susanna (Valeria Golino).
From the perspective of Raymond, his journey represents one where he receives the opportunity to connect with his brother and not perhaps fully comprehending the intentions of others involved. Not having much involvement in Charlie’s life prior to this estate settlement, this chance to connect presents something quite new for Raymond. He still needs to adhere to his routines, which befuddles Charlie, but come hell or high water, Raymond needs to be in front of a television set for the daily showing of The People’s Court and must hit the hay at 11:00 PM. He remains awfully consistent throughout the feature existing as the rock.
With the scope of portraying someone with a mental disability displayed in this feature, Dustin Hoffman gets tasked with quite the role. One of those instances where the actor needs to depict how this character would act in all actuality, but also do it in a way that does not come across as mocking the particular disability. Unquestionably a difficult line to toe but one Hoffman handles very well. While Charlie experiences the most growth in this feature, Raymond represents the soul of the story with the purity he brings to it all. Of all the issues that could have arisen through this portrayal, the feature gets it mostly right especially when combining the autism and the savant syndrome Raymond possesses.
Providing a feel-good experience witnessing some nice character growth, Rain Man builds the bonds between two brothers who did not know each other existed. The rocky path towards true brotherhood creates the trials and tribulations necessary to forge their bond by fire. Plenty of stress gets felt by these characters because of the positions they put themselves in but between the two of them, they manage a way to find out. There’s a reason the title of this feature often gets referenced when someone completes quite the mental feat, which all comes together in the final scenes. Certainly one of Barry Levinson’s most acclaimed films and with good reason as he walks the tightrope with this story and does well in sticking the landing.
Films with Josh 