Rating: 
Summary: Amazing and effective
Review: Rain Man was my first R-rated movie. I think I was nine when I saw it. My older brother has autism, and I was able, even at the age of nine, to draw startlingly similar parallels between Raymond and my brother.In the film, a car dealer (Charlie, played by Tom Cruise) more concerned with his own well-being than that of anyone else discovers he has an autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman-Best Actor Oscar) in an institution. He kidnaps his brother in an effort to get inheritance money "unfairly" left to Ray. As they journey to California, Charlie makes some new realizations about his life. Whenever someone meets my brother and asks me what's wrong with him, the first thing I ask is, "Have you seen Rain Man?" The amazing fact is that many have. It is such an outstanding movie that it is watched even by a new generation. I'm pleased that Hollywood took the initiative to introduce autism to the general public. Autism is more common than Down Syndrome. Everyone knows what Down Syndrome is, but autism is often downplayed in importance. Rain Man strives to change that.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest films ....
Review: I recently watched Rain Man, for what was probably at least the tenth time as it is on television alot. It is one of the best movies of the 1980s', and it has without doubt, one of the best performances ever seen on film. Dustin Hoffman was amazing as Raymond Babbitt, an autistic man, whose younger brother, Charlie, played quite well by Tom Cruise, abducts him from the institution he is in in order to get his share of inheritance money. The character of Charlie is very selfish and greedy, but as the film goes on he changes for the better. He takes Raymond clear across the country by car because Raymond won't fly. Watching this film again made me realize that it is really one of the greatest films I've seen. It's a bittersweet story of brotherly love, dramatic at times, but has a great deal of comedy blended in. This is a film to be cherished for generations. I highly recommend Rain Man. The performances by both Dustin Hoffman, who won the Oscar for best actor(very well deserved!), and Tom Cruise are outstanding. I believe this to be one of the first films that Cruise had a real substantial character with depth to him. Watch Rain Man...you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, Funny and Superbly Acted by Cruise and Hoffman!
Review: "Rain Man" is one of those rare films that is equally touching and moving as it is humorous. A true labor of love for those involved, particularly its producers, director Barry Levinson, and star Dustin Hoffman, it remains an undated and compelling work, since its release sixteen years ago. By now most know that Hoffman was heavily praised for his dead-on portrayal of an autistic savant, winning an Oscar in the process. However, it is really Tom Cruise who is the heart and soul of the movie, portraying its true protagonist. His is a very underrated performance, one that reminds how accomplished an actor he can be when given the right dramatic role. Equally good is Levinson's direction, smartly exposing the humor on what could normally be viewed as overly sentimental material. Included is one brief and all to basic featurette with cast and crew interviews of the time. The one deleted scene featured is redundant of what's already in the movie. The DVD makes up for all of this however with the inclusion of three audio commentaries to choose from. In the end, the greatest strength of this package is the movie itself. Whether it was indeed the best film of 1988 is a point of debate. Nonetheless, it is likely to satisfy most viewers because its themes of greed, discovery and compassion are not only universal, but in this case, intelligently presented.
Rating:
Summary: Have to watch Jeopardy
Review: This is a masterpiece. The story of a greedy, selfish yuppy, Cruise, whom discovers he has an autistic brother played by Dustin Hoffman. It just so happens this autistic brother has inherited the family fortune. Being institutionalized and not even understanding the concept of money, Cruise kidnaps him. Then trying to swindle the institution to give him half the money. Cruise then takes Hoffman on a cross country roadtrip, where he bonds and finds love for this special person. A movie with some hilarious situations and some to make even the stone hearted teary eyed. Hoffman deserved that oscar 100%. One of the best acting performances I have ever been privalaged to have seen. This an essential to any DVD collection. A true film of the soul!
Rating:
Summary: "Rain Man: Special Edition" -- Good DVD, Even Better Film!
Review: "Rain Man" reigned in the 1988 "Best Picture" Academy Award, and deservedly so. This film is everything a "Best Picture" Oscar winner should be, in my view. It has tenderness, romance, drama, compassion, likeable characters, and a biting humor as well. It's a "road" picture, while at the same time encompassing so many other things too. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman give highly-memorable and powerful performances in "Rain Man". Some of the moments in the movie that I find particularly memorable (and deserving of multiple replays whenever loading this up into the DVD Player) include these ............ > The first meeting between "Charlie" and "Raymond", when Charlie finds Ray behind the wheel of his rare 1948 automobile (excellent "first meeting" of these characters). > The "shorts on the highway" scene. > "Qantas never crashed". > The Blackjack scene in Vegas. > "I like having you for my big brother". This "SE" release of "Rain Man" includes an enhanced (anamorphic) 1.85:1 Widescreen version of the movie -- and it gets an A+ on my "PQ Report Card". The digital video is beautiful throughout, with radiant colors. The audio comes through loud and clear via the disc's bold English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround track. Two foreign-language DD tracks are also part of this DVD -- a 2.0 Surround in French, and a Spanish 2.0 Mono track. The DVD Special Features are a wee bit on the light side for a so-called "Special Edition". Although, if you like Audio Commentaries, you've come to the right place with this "Rain Man" DVD. Three separate filmmaker Commentary Tracks are featured on this one-disc "SE", including one by Director Barry Levinson. Other bonus material includes .......... >> Original Featurette. -- This short bonus is fairly thin on content, but does provide a few comments from stars Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise (circa 1988). Not much to sink your "Making Of" teeth into here though. The video for this featurette is Full Frame (1.33:1). Length = 6:55. .... It would have been nice to have had a feature-length "Making-Of" documentary included on this "SE" DVD. But, maybe next time. >> One Deleted Scene. -- I kind of liked this. This excised scene shows Raymond entering a convenience store, where he begins helping himself to the store's stock of food and beverages (to the dismay of the shop's proprietor). Charlie enters at the end of this short scene to "rescue" Raymond. It's a pretty good scene, but certainly not essential to the storyline; and I can see why it was cut. Especially considering the film's already-lengthy 134-minute final running time. This deleted clip lasts 2:01, and is presented in 1.33:1 Full-Frame ratio. >> Original Theatrical Trailer. -- A fun and funny trailer. Shown in 1.33:1. Run time -- 2:14. >> Photo Gallery. -- This Gallery (which *is* anamorphic) is broken up into five different segments. >> Bonus DVD Trailers. No "Chapter List" paper insert is included with this DVD. The case looks kind of bare without any insert, I must admit. But, starting in late 2003 (approx.), many studios began to go the "el-cheapo" route on us, and no longer provide physical paper enclosures inside the DVD cases anymore. Gee, you'd think a "Special Edition" release would at least warrant a slim, one-page insert. Oh, well...what are ya gonna do? No biggie really. But I'd still prefer to have an insert for all DVD releases (even if it's only an ad for other DVD products). Even with the rather skimpy selection of supplements here, this DVD still comes highly recommended by this "Rain Man" fan. The picture and sound quality are dazzling; and the film itself is ... well ... I'm sure you know ..... Oscar worthy! Get this today!
Rating:
Summary: Very strong acting from Dustin Hoffman
Review: This movie was very insightful into the life of a greedy yet lovable brother and a mental patient at the physc ward with an IQ of 176. The movie mainly focuses on the relationship between Hoffman and Cruise, who make a strong bond after Cruise heard of his father's death and wasn't left a penny, instead leaving over $3 million with Hoffman. The story takes place in various places of the West Coast, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The story is very unique, great that made this movie win an oscar, but the main thing is the acting Hoffman produces which is so real, so touching, that it made this movie so believeable, not just a shelf throw back. 10/10.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Best movie portrayal of autism yet. I hope there are more movies like this!! Tom Cruise's best ever performance. Dustin Hoffman's best ever performance. Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"
Rating:
Summary: Very Touching and Inspiring
Review: This is one of the best dramas of all time. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman act out the performances of their careers. Everything about the movie is funny, dramatic, and heartwarming. Dustin Hoffman is definately an awesome actor. He brings the authenticity of the disorder. Tom Cruise is the perfect person to play the annoyed brother because he can make the biggest jerk sympathetic. All in all this movie is great. I highly reccomend it.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, Funny and Superbly Acted by Cruise and Hoffman!
Review: "Rain Man" is one of those rare films that is equally touching and moving as it is humorous. A true labor of love for those involved, particularly its producers, director Barry Levinson, and star Dustin Hoffman, it remains an undated and compelling work, since its release sixteen years ago. By now most know that Hoffman was heavily praised for his dead-on portrayal of an autistic savant, winning an Oscar in the process. However, it is really Tom Cruise who is the heart and soul of the movie, portraying its true protagonist. His is a very underrated performance, one that reminds how accomplished an actor he can be when given the right dramatic role. Equally good is Levinson's direction, smartly exposing the humor on what could normally be viewed as overly sentimental material. Included is one brief and all to basic featurette with cast and crew interviews of the time. The one deleted scene featured is redundant of what's already in the movie. The DVD makes up for all of this however with the inclusion of three audio commentaries to choose from. In the end, the greatest strength of this package is the movie itself. Whether it was indeed the best film of 1988 is a point of debate. Nonetheless, it is likely to satisfy most viewers because its themes of greed, discovery and compassion are not only universal, but in this case, intelligently presented.
Rating:
Summary: 246 toothpicks, "counting cards" and lessons in love.
Review: Have you ever had to communicate with someone on a different wavelength as you; for example because he speaks a foreign language and you don't have an interpreter, or because he is unable to communicate verbally at all, or maybe just because you keep misunderstanding each other? If so, you know what a frustrating experience it is to have virtually no control over the situation and over making sure that you're actually understood. And in precisely this situation finds himself Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), personification of the 1980s' yuppie, a used car dealer with major money problems whose only - tentative - personal attachment is to his current girlfriend Susanna (Valeria Golino). Because having learned that except for a few rosebushes and a vintage 1949 Buick Roadmaster his recently-deceased father has left virtually all of his considerable fortune to his autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) - a brother he didn't even know he had - Charlie decides to kidnap Raymond from the Cincinnati facility where he lives, take him to California, and demand half the inheritance in exchange for his brother's return. Now, Charlie isn't the greatest communicator himself; at least as far as listening goes; he is used to talking people down, and if that alone doesn't do the trick, he starts to yell. This, however, just doesn't work with Raymond, who lives in a world of his own and, unable to express emotion in any other way, falls into a nervous tic when feeling threatened. So for the first time in his life Charlie has to learn to accept another human being for what he is, and work *with* his bewildering methods of communication rather than against them. And subtly, very subtly, Charlie begins to change, until at last he no longer wants to relinquish custody of Raymond even after having been offered a substantial amount of money: because now money is no longer an issue at all; now it's all about genuine love for a newly-found brother and very special person. "Rain Man" is ostensibly told from Charlie's perspective; through his, the "normal" guy's eyes we perceive Raymond's habits, tics and strange behavioral code. And even if Charlie is easy enough to snub for his superficiality and materialism, his frustration at his inability to communicate with his brother feels genuine and is something we can empathize with(albeit perhaps inadmittedly). Tom Cruise plays Charlie with a finely-tuned mix of audacity and reluctant emotion; turning a role that seems to start out as just another Cruise cliche into a character who hesitantly comes to realize his own complexities and shortcomings and learns to appreciate sensitivity, compassion and love - yet, without ever taking the role that treacherous step too far into sentimentality. Still, important as Charlie's character is for this movie's narrative, this is from first to last Raymond's story; and by the same token Dustin Hoffman's, because the two individuals are in fact inseparable: As Hoffman once explained in an interview, he rejects the notion that acting is merely about playing a role, or that the term "my character" could ever appropriately describe his approach to a role; emphasizing that in every part he plays, he truly has to *become* the individual in question to fully be able to understand and portray him. As such, his achievement with Raymond Babbitt is breathtaking indeed; for in a role which not only imposes severe limitations on his ability to communicate traditionally but also gives him virtually no opportunity to express emotion, he conveys Raymond's frailties, unexpected strengths and, significantly, his profound humanity in a manner that lets you forget you're even looking at a piece of acting, thus accomplishing that rare feat only attained by the greatest of actors - and even among Dustin Hoffman's spectacular performances, this one stands out in particular. (He did, of course, win both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for this movie; but somehow even the industry's highest awards don't begin to express the significance of his achievement.) Raymond Babbitt's character was based on several real-life autistic persons; and at a time when little was known about the condition even in the medical community, contributed substantially to a greater understanding of those afflicted with it. Not all autistic people are so-called "savants" like Raymond, i.e. possess genial mathematic or other abilities within the shell separating them from the outside world (and conversely, not with all of them that shell is as thick as in Raymond's case; although intricate routines do tend to play a rather important role) - so don't go rushing off with them to Vegas for an exercise in "counting cards," at least not before you've verified that they can memorize entire phone books (at least up to the letter "G"), count the toothpicks in a pile on the floor with one glimpse of an eye and determine the square root of a four- or five-digit number within a matter of seconds without so much as looking at an electronic calculator. Chances are you'd do them tremendous harm, not to mention make a complete fool of yourself. Dustin Hoffman reportedly fought hard for this movie's production even after several directors (including, inter alia, Stephen Spielberg) had bowed out; and in one of those rare un-Hollywood-like moments even managed to maintain the movie's sense of authenticity up to the very end by prevailing on the writers to drop the projected ending, which would have had Raymond staying with Charlie. - In addition to Hoffman's awards, "Rain Man" received the coveted Oscars for Best Movie, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director (Barry Levinson, who also played the psychiatrist called upon to evaluate whether Raymond is fit to stay with Charlie), plus a number of other American and international awards. For once, the industry collectively got it right. But even if this movie hadn't received a single award, it would still remain one of recent film history's greatest and truly unforgettable moments - definitely, it would.
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