Yes, another Tom Cruise film. I actually rented the two from the library at the same time and the lady who checked me out seemed really excited that I was going to have a "Tom Cruise weekend(!)." Rain Man is another one of those movies that I'd seen a few parts of, but really had no idea what it was about. It's a movie that gets referenced a lot in other movies as well. For example, in Tropic Thunder Robert Downey Jr.'s (hilarious) character discusses how Dustin Hoffman didn't go "full retard" in this movie and won a lot of recognition. It's also mentioned in The Hangover, which has an allusion to the elevator scene in the casino. I figured the fact that so many references are made to it in pop culture would mean that Rain Man is a good film. And I was right.
For those of you who don't know, Rain Man begins when Charlie (Tom Cruise) learns his father has died and has essentially cut him out of the will. He discovers the money has been entrusted to an autistic brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), he never knew he had. Charlie kidnaps Raymond in hopes that he will be able to hold him ransom for some of the inheritance, but along the way reconnects with his brother. It all comes down to the heartwarming ending where Charlie turns away $250,000 and tries to gain custody of his brother instead.
I must say, as a psychology major with exposure to autism, Dustin Hoffman is amazing in this movie. Tom Cruise is okay too I guess, if only a little cheesy. While this movie is really good, you do need to sit down and watch it for over two hours, and some parts can be a little slow. As far as being an 80s movie goes, I think this film stands up over time. There's nothing in it that is so 80s that would make it different from any movie made today. All in all, watch it if you have the time and you won't regret it.
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