Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 105 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Robert Benton
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Justin Henry
IMDb score:
7,8 (160.605)
Releasedate: 7 December 1979
Kramer vs. Kramer plot
"There are three sides to this love story"
Ted Kramer is a businessman who puts his work before his family. His wife Joanna can't stand it anymore and decides to leave him. Ted now has the task of doing the housework himself and looking after himself and his son Billy. When Ted has learned to live with these responsibilities in his life, Joanna wants her son back. Ted refuses to give up, which leads to a custody battle for the child.
Actors and actresses
Ted Kramer
Joanna Kramer
Margaret Phelps
Billy Kramer
John Shaunessy
Jim O'Connor
Phyllis Bernard
Gressen
Judge Atkins
Spencer
Reviews & comments
tommykonijn
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- 5029 messages
- 2273 votes
Apparently a well-known classic, but I must confess that I had never heard of it before. But Kramer vs. Kramer was worth it anyway.
Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep is of course an interesting combination. Despite that they are rarely seen together, both are doing very well. Justin Henry is striking. I recently gave a compliment to the child actors in a Sergio Leone film, but this guy is by far one of the better ones I've seen lately. Great acting. That's the main thing about this movie. All the emotional and funny moments are not even so much about the story or script. It is the trio that gets the attention here.
Other than that, it remains a bit of an above-average Wednesday night film. The film is not boring and has some impressive scenes (including the fall of the boy and his reaction to the fact that he has to go back to his mother as well as all the speeches in court). In addition, the film also uses some light father-son moments, so that it occasionally tends to the sugary side, but fortunately it is more heartwarming than irritating. Here the child is also just a child who has to learn everything. Much more realistic than all those smarties (often even 'counselors') of similar age in American rom-coms these days.
Kramer vs. Kramer offers a bit of everything: there will be moments when you can laugh, while at other times it will be closer to a tear or lump in your throat. I maintain that it is the excellent cast that takes the film to the next level here. This could have been the umpteenth, uninspired, American drama. Instead, we are presented with a convincing and very pleasant film.
3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Onderhond
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- 87451 messages
- 12499 votes
blergh.
Classic? Evidently. Knew the title from somewhere, but didn't immediately know what kind of movie it would be. Thought a court drama but the poster didn't really point in the right direction. In the end it is a bit of drama with some court troubles, but they are very limited.
The man-cliche in this film is quite annoying and Hoffman's overacting doesn't help his character either. It's a bit ridiculous to watch, especially in the context of a movie that tries to be quite serious. The mother figure is severely underdeveloped, which should make it a bit easier to empathize with the father. The baby is especially annoying, one of those typical American pussies.
You could say that it is still quite brave to make a film where the father figure is the logical guardianship winner, but the ending throws a spanner in the works. Completely idiotic ending and a twist that really contributes nothing. On the contrary, it kills the only interesting aspect of this movie.
No idea how this movie has been able to appeal to some people. As drama an annoying heap of clichés, acting is way too thick, audiovisually it means absolutely nothing and the ending has a destructive twist. The only way this movie could have been worse is if it had added an extra half hour. Fortunately, the playing time was still fairly limited.
1.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
IH88
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- 9436 messages
- 3155 votes
“When's Mommy coming back?”
Strong drama. Kramer vs. Kramer is Dustin Hoffman's tour de force as Ted Kramer, and the little star actor is once again impressive. The transformation from busy and absent father to devoted and loving father is well done. The bond with his son is beautifully depicted and Hoffman and Henry are excellent together.
Streep also does well, despite a somewhat difficult role as an overwrought and absent mother. The sympathy is clearly with Ted, but Streep knows how to make Joanna a person that you don't hate. I also thought the storyline between Ted and Margaret (Jane Alexander) was well developed, and luckily that remains just a platonic and deep friendship. Director Benton colors a little too safely between the lines at the end, but luckily it doesn't ruin the film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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