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Rain Man

1988 American road comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass Website

Approval Rate: 88%

88%Approval ratio

Reviews 48

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  • by

    genghisthehun

    Fri Jun 10 2011

    I gotta admit to having a bias against disease shows and this was no exception. I can proudly state that I have never watched one second of it since I suffered through it at the bijou about twenty years ago.

  • by

    coggy13

    Sat Jul 31 2010

    Love the film. Dustin of course won the Oscar for this baby, but Tom Cruise really drives it (literally and figuratively). A terrific performance by both. Enough time has passed from Tom Cruise's wackiness a few years ago so that I can be positive regarding something he did. My favorite part isn't very flashy. It's not in Vegas. It's when Tom discovers his brother is Rain Man. It's after putting his brother to bed and he's just sitting on his own bed, looking at his brother in a whole different light. A quiet moment when Raymond has changed from an animal to keep for his own selfish purposes to a person who was responsible for one of his most joyous childhood memories (an incomplete memory up until that point). Ok, one thing that bothers me. I know it was a movie and not real life, but why couldn't Raymond live in a similar institution in LA? That would be the obvious solution. I know the film will not change, but if you have an autistic savant loved one and they're a great dista... Read more

  • by

    klmj1234

    Wed Dec 02 2009

    Big Hoffman fan! Proves he can excel at any role thrown his way. Any number of actors could have played Cruise's part equally as good.

  • by

    medgarevers

    Tue Nov 10 2009

    Of course

  • by

    landslider

    Tue Nov 10 2009

    Brought a lilttle bit of understanding of a mind that although it is so briliant in a few ways, cannot function on an average level.

  • by

    khernandez450_7

    Sun Mar 08 2009

    Great movie! Kind of slow if you are looking for something for a special date or a night with the guys, but it's a great story, well-made film, and has fabulous actors!

  • by

    adriennemiller

    Fri Mar 06 2009

    Rain Man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman won many Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hoffman. Hoffman's performance is pretty amazing but I felt Cruise should've won too, I never thought of Cruise as an actor with incredible range but he is flawless in this film. The bond between these two guys keeps this film from being lifeless and calculated. Good film even after all these years, enjoy!

  • by

    victor83

    Mon Feb 23 2009

    Probably the only movie that 1) is worthy of a 4 star rating and 2) had Tom Cruise in it. What a vehicle for Dustin Hoffman! It would be more popular here had Raymond been a conservative: "Course I'm not wearing my underwear. OH! Ten minutes to Limbaugh!"

  • by

    raverrow

    Fri Feb 20 2009

    The acting in this movie is flawless, Dustin Hoffman is at the top of his game. Its the touching story of a man who finds out he has an autistic brother and how his relationship with him helps him learn how to look outside of his own selfish life and pursuits.

  • by

    itsalwayshapp_yhourhere

    Mon Feb 16 2009

    I'm hard pressed to think of another movie where two prominent actors are more on top of their craft--where every single scene in which they interact makes you go, "Wow!"--than RAIN MAN. I've seen this movie several times (and hope to see it several times more) and walk away with a new appreciation for what Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman were able to accomplish with each viewing. This is a journey of discovery, as LA car dealer/hustler Charlie (Cruise) learns, upon the death of his estranged father, that he has a much older, autistic brother, Ray (Hoffman). Angry that he has been shut out of his father's will, while Ray is the estate's benefactor, Charlie takes Ray out of his institution and the two brothers embark on a cross-country odyssey (including a trek through my stomping grounds in Oklahoma). Ray is a fragile man of routine, and plucking him from his institution and traveling thousands of miles is a severe disruption; while Charlie, at first impatient and angry at Ray's ... Read more

  • by

    johnnyp8760

    Fri Jan 09 2009

    Just wanted to update my DVD collection with one of my favorite movies, Rainman. Amazon had the best price and delivered within 5 business days, even during the holiday season.

  • by

    irishgit

    Sat Dec 20 2008

    Above average, but not by much. Pretty predictable. Hoffman is very good, Cruise is just typical Cruise.

  • by

    edt4226d

    Tue Mar 25 2008

    A little too emotionally manipulative for my taste. Hoffman, as always, is excellent, playing here an idiot savant. Cruise, who occasionally is capable of a good performance, grates on the nerves as his annoyingly brash younger brother. Another technically well-crafted but ultimately superficial soap-opera of a movie from Barry Levinson.

  • by

    louiethe20th

    Tue Oct 09 2007

    "I'm an excellent driver!" "K97X, Bam, the future of rock and roll!"

  • by

    georges11

    Tue Oct 02 2007

    a classic. well acted movie that gets the viewer involved from the start to the finish. dustin hoffman and tom cruise were perfect for these roles.

  • by

    statman100

    Wed Apr 04 2007

    So overrated it makes me want to throw up.

  • by

    cunundrumpw

    Wed Nov 09 2005

    Great movie. Dustin Hoffman does a great job acting as an autistic-savont in this movie. He deserved the Oscar he won.

  • by

    canadasucks

    Mon Jul 11 2005

    Not bad, but waaay overrated. Hoffman got a gift Oscar for playing a gimp.

  • by

    realitychick

    Sat Apr 09 2005

    Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise do an awesome job acting in this movie. I enjoy these kinds of dramas.

  • by

    molfan

    Sat Apr 09 2005

    A wonderful movie. A selfish young man finds out he has an older brother after his dad dies. His brother Raymond is autistic and lives in an institution. Rayamond has inherited all the money.Charlie kidnaps his brother in hopes of getting his cut of the money. they go for a 2000 ride to California. Raymond turns out to have savant capabilities in memory and counting.he uses his brother to get some money in Vegas. the good side of this movie is Charlie learns that Raymond cannot change.So Charlie has to change for his brother and do what is best for him.this movie is funny, sad, and heartwarming.Dustin Hoffman did an excellent job playing RAymond the autistic man. I have a relative with autism, I feel they handeld this movie dealing with autism with fairness without making fun of those with autism.

  • by

    barbkaye57

    Thu Jan 20 2005

    One of the only Tom Cruise movies I liked. Dustin Hoffman plays his role perfectly as a mentally handicapped man who's greedy brother kidnaps him from the home that he'd been living. Hoffman's character is an idiot savant, his brother kidnaps him in hopes that he will get his brother's share of the estate that his father left him, that he felt was rightfully his. They travel across country together and Cruise learns who his brother really is. You almost like Cruise by the end of the movie.

  • by

    stlsportsguy

    Sat Nov 20 2004

    Uh oh, 12 minutes to Wapner.

  • by

    jaywilton

    Tue Oct 26 2004

    A unique important film that-if anything was underrated;probable the best performances by Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.

  • by

    frogger20190

    Thu Aug 05 2004

    Overrated. Predictable. Manipulative. Didn't buy the relationship between Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman at all. Best thing about the movie--the beginning, hearing Iko Iko with the backdrop of Cincinnati.

  • by

    loneusfullhous_efan

    Tue Jun 08 2004

    I am willing to bet that many people have never heard of autism before, and I give this movie credit for bringing it to the public's attention. The film is an excelent way of showing that a mental disability does not necessarily mean low intelegence. Plus, I loved watching Tom Cruise freak out constantly in this film; provided real comic relief from the drama.

  • by

    icanrate

    Wed Jun 02 2004

    kick

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    ninobene

    Fri Apr 09 2004

    Phenomenal movie that never gets old.

  • by

    larry_biz

    Tue Jan 13 2004

    Having an autistic brother, I feel (my humble opinion) like no actor has ever done a better job in a role than Dustin Hoffman did as Ray Babbitt.

  • by

    jbiscuit1

    Sat Aug 02 2003

    Good, but not four stars. Dustin Hoffman is excellent, brilliant even, but Tom Cruise is just Tom Cruise. While the film is the study of Tom and Dustin's relationship, it generally doesn't actually go anywhere.

  • by

    philc01b

    Thu Mar 20 2003

    Really a masterpiece with superb acting by Dustin Hoffman. Tom Cruise was very good too. It brought all kinds of emotions to the surface, showing what this mentally disabled man went through and how his brother helped him. Super!

  • by

    teaseress

    Mon Nov 18 2002

    I usually don't like Tom Cruise as an actor, but this is one of the few films where I do. I first watched this film when I was a kid and I loved it then. Charlie (Tom Cruise) is a young, selfish - want to get the deal type of man who doesn't really care about anyone else, finds out that his father has died and has basically left nothing to him and has given the estate to an unknown beneficiery. Charlie finds out who and drags his girlfriend with him and eventually he finds out that he has an autistic brother called Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Charlie decides to kidnap Raymond in order to get the money - but instead goes on a voyage that willchange him forever. The relationship between the two main characters develop and matures and it seems so realistic and so moving. The momentum of the film is very slick and works very well. This is a very heartwaming story and is one that you can watch over and over again.

  • by

    castlebee

    Wed Jan 23 2002

    Cruise is good in this film but this is definitely Dustin Hoffman at his very finest. He creates for us a sweet little character trapped inside his own mind and as harmless and likeable as small puppy. In the process we also get a rare look into the world of autism and the frustrations family members and caregivers can come to feel. This is a movie with heart and soul - the tale of two brothers and coming to terms with emotions and situations you can’t change. My favorite Raymond Babbitz moment is when he is standing in the gigantic window in the Las Vegas hotel room and looking out on all the lights. The shot is wide and from the back and Hoffman looks very small and alone. With his head tilted to one side he quietly says, “Very sparkly, very twinkly.” That to me summed up Raymond Babbitz – very sparkly, very twinkly, and very much alone. What a great film.

  • by

    mystikal

    Mon Jul 16 2001

    Love, sentiment, change...this movie has it all

  • by

    afterglow70

    Fri Jun 15 2001

    Loved it! Tom and Dustin both did beautiful jobs portraying Raymond and Charlie. I totally believed that Dustin Hoffman was like that, even though he wasn't.

  • by

    hughjackmans_mate

    Mon Apr 09 2001

    Wow. Dustin Hoffman did an excelent job. This is another actor who can be whatever he wants to be. Wasn't it he who dressed up as a woman for one of his movies? That's what I admire most about the guy. He can switch from one character to another so easily. I think this movie really showed his talent to the public. Wonderful, wonderful. P.s.-Edward Norton can do an excelent immitation of Dustin Hoffman in the "Rain Man"...

  • by

    beatles_fan_4_ever

    Sun Apr 01 2001

    Dustin Hooffman was fantastic! I don't believe anyone else could've played that part as well.

  • by

    ericthefederal_ist

    Fri Mar 30 2001

    Dustin Hoffman plays like an angel! I like the Las Vegas scenes! :o)

  • by

    daddy093

    Mon Jan 15 2001

    Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise did an excellent job acting in this film. The movie really pulled me into their lives. I really enjoyed how they put their "gifts" to good use and made some money in Vegas. The dialogue was great, and how Mr. Hoffman didn't end up with a speech impediment after the film was finished is surprising. "Yeah, K-Mart, 400 Oak St...."

  • by

    teriyaki

    Mon Jan 15 2001

    Robert De Niro did very well acting out his disorder. The movie portrays the difficulty of having to care for one that you love and trying to make a connection with him/her. It's a great movie!

  • by

    lorien

    Thu Jan 11 2001

    I think it was an inspirational work about friendship and commitment that eventually developed between the two characters. I liked the way the characters were developed and the changes they experienced throughout the movie.

  • by

    moosqwat

    Wed Jan 10 2001

    The movie was entertaining and held the audience's attention. The movie was realistic in today's society. The movie had a good storyline. I would recommend the movie for every age group.

  • by

    tulla209

    Wed Jan 10 2001

    This was a beautiful story about a guy learning to deal with a difficult situation and learning to love his brother. I learned a lot about autism. Very entertaining.

  • by

    wrealone1

    Sat Dec 16 2000

    Rain Man was great. Dustin Hoffman gave a tremendous portrayal of an autistic man. Tom Cruise did a pretty good job too.

  • by

    hawkers

    Fri Dec 15 2000

    I really enjoyed seeing the change in Charlie as the movie progressed. It was also good to see Raymond- he wasn't portrayed as retarded like some people think about autism. It is just amazing to see his abilities, as well as his inabilities.

  • by

    vienna

    Thu Nov 30 2000

    Good home movie. Great preformance and excellent plot.

  • by

    actjef1077

    Fri Nov 24 2000

    Definitely my favorite Hoffman flick, though Tootsie comes close. It was so beautiful to watch this retarded man struggle through life. Cruise, who I don't really care for usually, also was incredible in the movie as Hoffman's younger brother.

  • by

    kkates

    Fri Nov 24 2000

    Excellent movie. Tom Cruise and the actor playing Ray worked so well together making this movie. The film draws in the attention of the viewer as well as the viewer's sense of compassion for the characters. The sensitive side of a hard working strong man is brought out by the loveable character, Ray, his brother.

  • by

    deb1f555

    Mon Nov 06 2000

    Great acting. Great script. Great characters.