When somebody tries to tell you nothing good came from the 80s, bring up this movie. Better yet, show them. Anyone that isn't touched by this movie doesn't have blood circulating to the right parts. The crowning touch on this production is found during the credits. There we get to relive the cross-country journey through Raymond's eyes, as all of (his) off balance snapshots from the movie flash on the screen one by one, while that great soundtrack plays out. … Expand

Another overrated (but still good) best picture winner. Dustin Hoffman's performance is what really lifts the film up. I am not a fan of Tom Cruise, and felt his wooden and insincere performance brought the film down. Well produced in every way.

If you really do hate this move, congratulations: you've obviously succeeded in destroying your own soul. You are a critic at last. Everyone else, savour this minor masterpiece.

Judge a film by the quality of its bad reviews. Almost nothing Hal Hinson says makes sense. He reminds me of that bloody "Artistic?" nurse that Cruise really should have slapped - Dustin's performance is great. He's playing an AUTISTIC bloke, and he's playing it well. He doesn't speak from Ray's centre because Ray HAS no centre, he's BLOODY AUTISTIC! Go and actually meet and speak to an Autistic person, and see if they speak from their centre. They won't even be as articulate as Ray is, most likely. The Late (I think) Pauline Kael, usually the last link in the barometer-like Triad of relatively selfless movie criticism (with the former Siskel & Ebert, now reduced to just Ebert and some chancer called Roeper with whom I am in fact totally unfamiliar), seemed suddenly to be trying to score points off the film rather than review it properly. Wet kitsch? It has emotion, if that's what you meant. Same goes for Desson Howe, except he also goes for the not-yet tired "oh look it's Tom Cruise, let us now say that he cannot act. This will give me more acclaim for he is fast becoming a figure of fun. Ha ha. I am so great" thing. Categorically. TOM. CRUISE. CAN. ACT. Very very well in fact. And only someone who had never seen this very film would say otherwise. Okay? Not very good standard of bad reviews, then. Must be a good film. "Minor Masterpiece" someone said - well, yes it is. One of those supposedly-rare Best Picture winners that actually deserved it. See it.… Expand

I cant believe this movie got a Best Picture award from the Oscars! The movie is ok, but it isn't great! Didn't find Hoffmans performance to believable, and the whole story was just silly.

Hoffman in his worst role, staring into blank space and pawing the air as the autistic(near genius)older brother of Tom Cruise. That in itself is as ludicrous as the idea of Schwarzneggar and DeVito being twins. Heavy handed, pointless, and ultimately predictable and preachy, it's the sort of film to hog the Oscars which it did. The sense of eccentricity and personal commitment so evident in Diner is entirely missing in this washed out drizzle of a movie. Cynically, one can say it gave both Hoffman and Cruise opportunities to exploit one another: Cruise being box office draw and Hoffman as respected veteran actor. … Expand

How much did Hoffman have to tone it down to make Cruise look good? Whenever a movie is in danger of totally bombing, the solution is to send the characters to Vegas. The action there makes this show memorable. Hoffman's analysis of an Australian airline was a fat informative bonus for the traveling public.

Awesome movie!!

Loved It.

Those who negatively criticize Hoffman's performance likely have no experience with idiot savants. Those who negatively criticize Cruise's performance likely don't like him to begin with and don't care what he does. Here we have a bold movie; one where the veteran actor plays distant, and the younger actor must play to him. The characters validate each other's existances like no other pair in any movie, be it drama, romance or comedy. And Rain Man manages to pack a good deal of drama and humor into itself. This is a movie about disability and inability, but it's also about compromise, compassion and humility - each trait leading to the next. It's touching and tender in unfashionable ways. It was about damn time somebody made a movie like this.… Expand

What a great movie. I'm with Gilbert on this, the Washington Post's criticism of Hoffman's acting is ridiculous. Hoffman's performance was one of the best aspects of this all around amazing and touching movie.

i personally agree that this movie is a great drama. it has a good reality case as in some circumstances this issue does occur and it is very touching. Hoffman's acting is fantastic. Overall a great movie.

Car importer has struggling business, Father dies, leaves fortune to unknown party, discovers lost Brother with Autism, looks after him to get half of fortune.
Great performance by Dustin Hoffman as Ray & surprisingly decent turn-out from Tom Cruise.
It is quite dated with it's 80's music & obligatory "montage" but is quite touching in parts & well shot.

Let me start of by saying this: I have a sister with down syndrome. It is not the same disability as the main character of this film but she is disabled. I am allowed to be a bit critical of this film without being deeply hated. Alright, that has been established. To begin, I don't know what it was running against, but I'm not sure this should have won best picture. Sure, Hoffman's performance is astounding, but the movie's greatness solely relied on just that. It deserved a nomination for it's writing and a definite win for acting, but this movie probably got a lot of sympathy for being one of the first films to touch on the subject of people with disabilities. This poked too much fun at the disabled for me to feel for this movie. At first, it displays the behavior of a disabled person as entertaining, then decides that it shouldn't poke fun at the disabled and Tom Cruise suddenly has been changed by his brother. Predictable and a bit hypocritical. Don't get me wrong, this is a good movie, just not the great one that everyone thinks it is, at least to me. In short, if you want to see a movie with an astounding performance and heart, watch this movie. But just compare this movie to I Am Sam for a moment from a point of view similar to mine. Disabled people aren't for us to give our sympathy to just based on who they are. Don't feel bad if you don't think this is an awesome movie because we all have our opinions.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, now. To say the very least, RAIN MAN is absolutely brilliant. Dustin Hoffman delivers an fantastic performance as the autistic character Raymond Babbitt, a role for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1988. In fact, Hoffman's performance is so outstanding that in comparison to Colin Firth as King George VI and Tom Hanks as the titular character in FORREST GUMP (using examples of other Academy Award-winning disabled roles), Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt is definitely the superior one. Tom Cruise also does an acceptable job as Charlie Babbitt, a greedy, selfish man who lives his whole life unaware that Raymond is his brother. I didn't expect very much of this film, as it looked like it would be utterly irritating--and I will admit, I was irritated at some parts, such as the various times at which Raymond continuously recites lines from Abbott and Costello's comedy act, "Who's on First?"--but otherwise, RAIN MAN was an exceptionally great, thoroughly memorable motion picture.… Expand

I would assume that because of the film's topic that this could be a tough one to handle. Autism is a touching topic, but it gives us an idea of both character's vulnerability and unstable personality. This is not supposed to be a weepy film, it is a film of beauty and wonder, of the dark and light sides of the human condition. It just dips enough to get us to think what might be right for people with disabilities and leaves us to make our own assumptions on this sort of issue. Of course, both main characters aren't numb, sometimes they just hide their feelings away, but we can obviously see how both of their lives entwine, without turning into a tear-jerking drama. It just makes us able to view the world we live in in a different light. When it comes to these sorts of films, often you're left wondering about the uptight views of the critics and the public, ESPECIALLY THE CRITICS.… Expand

The masterful parts about Rain Man derive from the fact that the movie never tries to be masterful. The situations are realistic, it doesn't paint an overly joyous happy ending and the characters of Dustin Hoffman's 'Raymond' and Tom Cruises 'Charlie' are equally important, relying on each other for gratification rather than playing to the fact that Raymond is in fact autistic, but the writers have perfectly created the Cruise character to balance out a well crafted and touching drama.
Charlie is a hotshot car dealer who must try and close a deal before the end of the day otherwise he will lose his clients, but he finds out that his father has died, and Charlie must go to Cincinnati along with his girlfriend to attend the funeral, and look over the will that his father left.
To Charlie's shock, his father has only left him his car (which he never let Charlie drive when he was younger) and nothing else. He then discovers that his fathers inheritance has been placed in a trust fund in a mental institute, where Charlie discovers his autistic brother, someone he never knew existed.
Charlie's selfishness is soon tested as we learn more and more about Raymond, his routines must happen, his anxious behaviour helps him cope, and he must be in bed and lights out by 11pm, these little things are Raymond's life, and Charlie at first has difficulty dealing with them.
As their road trip continues, Charlie learns valuable lessons about his brother, and about himself, simply because he learns to accept that Raymond cannot change, but that he is remarkable in his own right, especially his memory and his mathematical skills.
Its a truly touching film with superb acting, Hoffman portraying an obviously controversial character, but one that truly stands out in his loveable and fact-based self, Cruise is forever seeking to change his brother, but his determination cannot be ignored, but the chemistry between Cruise and Hoffman is realistically wonderful.
Truly, the film absolutely deserved the Academy awards simply for the fact that it doesn't try to be glam, but it gives the message that you don't have to reach for the stars to be happy, that it could indeed be right in front of you.
Superb film that has aged well and certainly one that is still a powerful reminder of the dramatic effects of human behaviour, in this case with and even without autism, because it isn't always the disabled person with the biggest problems.… Expand

Rain Man is heartwarming and a sad film. The acting is superb by both Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The characters validate each other's existances like no other pair in any movie, be it drama, romance or comedy.

The movie was sincere and while it wasn't the greatest the actors put in all they could. There were some funny lines throughout, but most of it was pretty tiresome to watch.

It was alright. Just a cute story with Dustin Hoffman in a solid role. Just because it is heartfelt and shows a guy grow to like another, that doesn't mean the movie forms a classic sentimental bond. it was too long with blatant dramatic irony. It made me feel bad for the guy and want it turn out well but it was just a simple heart throb.