Rain Man: Characterization over Plot Progression
Directed by Barry Levinson
“Ray, we’re at an airport. People fly out of airports. What’d you think we’re doing here this whole time?”
Charlie Babbitt
Rain Man released in 1988 is an American drama directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow. The film follows the story of a selfish, up-and-coming young professional Charlie Babbitt who discovers that his estranged father died and had given his estate to an unnamed trustee – who we have come to discover as Charlie’s older brother – Raymond Babbitt. When Charlie discovers that his brother is an autistic savant (though he does not understand what that fully means), he concocts a plan, and kidnaps Raymond, in an attempt to gain full custody of him and his inheritance.
As the film progressed, it seemed directionless which resulted in the run time feeling bloated. The movie is focused more on a story related to interpersonal relationships versus a progressive plot. This is discovered along the way as the relationship between Raymond and Charlie is elusively subtle and takes time to be nurtured. On account of the time given to develop their relationship, the plot concerning Charlie’s scheme stagnated and suffered in that aspect.
Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt was phenomenal as his acting always feels so natural. Alongside him, there was Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt who did an exceptional job portraying an autistic savant with all the various quirks and behaviors. He had completed extensive research, using real-life experiences to craft his character and bear verisimilitude to life. The chemistry between both leads proved to make a charming combination. Moreover, the cinematography of the film was beautifully done with wide-angled shots and a quality soundtrack to follow.
In my synopsis, Rain Man is an averagely good film, and it makes for a good story. Though I may not consider it one of the best movies I’ve seen, it still has significance because of the awareness it brought to autism and its stellar performances all around.
The Island Cinephile 
