It is something of a great cinematic achievement that Rain Man became the great film it clearly is because the story surrounding it is interestingly Hollywood in itself.

Four directors, six screenwriters, two cinematographers, eight producers, writers strikes, crew change, and a studio fighting for its life.

All of the above are common knowledge but it doesn't hurt to remember these facts when viewing the award wining triumph of a movie that stands the test of time today. The film is so simple in structure it really needed something special to pull it out of the prospective banality of being "just another road movie about finding oneself", Rain Man achieves something special by tackling its subjects with very sensitive hands and splicing a believable human concept into the story via the incredible shows from its two leading men.

Dustin Hoffman gives a magical moving performance as the Autistic Savant Raymond, the ultimate complement I can pay the performance is that it really is believable, both moving and clever rolled into one artistic result. Tom Cruise is equally as great in a role that called for drastic layer changes, a role that demanded much conviction from the actor taking it on, and Cruise gives the role much depth as he goes from shallow bastard to a very emotive and feeling human being, it's a great show that stands up to reevaluation these days. A performance that seems to have sadly been forgotten in light of Hoffman's film stealing show. With a film such as this you pray that the ending can do it justice, and I'm glad to say that there is no pandering here, it's an ending that says so much because it doesn't cop out, I thank god for those rewrites because the endings to the original scripts would of had me booting the TV set out of the window.

Essential cinema. 10/10

Charlie (Tom Cruise) has just learned that his estranged father has died. But the biggest surprise comes soon after when he learns that his father's fortune is NOT coming to him and Charlie is NOT the only child in the family. It turns out that he has a much older brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and the money has been placed in a trust to care for him because he is mentally disabled and dealing with the effects of autism. In a jerky move, Charlie kidnaps his brother and decides he'll care for him until the trustee will agree to give him some of the $3,000,000 fortune. Much of the film is a road trip where the two go cross-country--making money at Vegas and having a laugh or two. However, the ending where Charlie supposedly grew and changed (just a bit) did seem a bit difficult to believe.

"Rain Man" won four Oscars--including one for Best Picture. This would seem to imply that it is an amazingly good film. However, I would argue that the film is actually a very good one but it also appeared during a year in which the competition just wasn't very good. The list of other nominees would include "The Accidental Tourist", "Dangerous Liasons", "Working Girl" and "Mississippi Burning"--all films that just don't seem particularly Oscar-worthy.

The film is interesting and also is a funny look into the awful fashions of the late 1980s. Just don't expect a film that is anything else.

The name of Babbitt has an old but not terribly honored name in American literature. George Babbitt was the creation of Sinclair Lewis as the the self seeking, hard striving archetypal middle class American whose interest is making money above all. If George Babbitt had a grandson he'd be Charlie Babbitt late of Cincinnati, Ohio.

As played by Tom Cruise he's a worthy successor to his grandpa. George Babbitt if he were around today would be proud of Charlie. He's a child of the Eighties, looking for paper profits in fast deals. But he's got a cash flow problem. He's on the hook for a pair of expensive Italian Lamberghini sports cars and his customers want either the cars, their money back, or his head.

In the midst of these problems comes word that is father who he'd been estranged from for years has died. Back from Los Angeles to Cincinnati goes Tom in the hopes a timely legacy will save his butt. What a shock to find that his father's millions went in trust to an unnamed benefactor and all he got was a used car and rose bushes. But that's not all.

The unnamed beneficiary for whom the money is held in trust is Tom's older brother, older by about 15 years who's been institutionalized. He's an autistic, idiot savant, played by Dustin Hoffman. What to do, but break him out of that institution and gain custody of him and his millions.

Rain Man's success hinges on the performance of Dustin Hoffman as Raymond (Rain Man) Babbitt and it's the best piece of work Dustin Hoffman ever did on screen. We're told that for someone in his condition, he's pretty far advanced. He can count 246 matches falling out of a matchbox that contains 250 and 4 were left inside. He's memorized Abbott&Costello's Who's On First without any idea of what it means. He sees and memorizes, but can't reason or articulate.

But Dustin Hoffman did more with those monotone answers and his own facial expressions in interpreting the role than I think most actors would be capable of. It's a world so different for Hoffman than it is for Cruise and for any of us reading my review. Raymond Babbitt would memorize the words I write and not be capable of knowing their meaning.

The film is about the growing relationship of the two brothers, one of whom the other didn't know existed. Hoffman does know about Cruise and there was a reason he was kept apart from him, not a good one to keep him unaware of his existence, but a reason. It's something I won't tell you'll have to see the film to find out.

Tom Cruise also does a wonderful job in exploring all the dimensions of Charlie Babbitt. Normally I find it a weakness in a film that secondary characters aren't developed. But in the case of Rain Man it really is all about these two brothers.

Rain Man got four Oscars, four big ones, Best Picture, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Director for Barry Levinson, and Best Original Screenplay and Story for Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. All richly deserved.

Best scenes in the film when Cruise decides to make use of Hoffman's talents by stopping off in Las Vegas. That has to be seen.

You will be moved mightily with one viewing of Rain Man.