Review of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) by Jack W — 18 Feb 2009

Absolutely amazing. I found myself truly caring for the characters here, and from beginning to end I felt the emotion and character portrayals deep and convincing. The story, which challenges the notion of male-only childcare, is important to note as the major highlights of the movie show just how loving this man truly is.

Today, this is not a huge deal, but it certainly was back in the late 70's when conceptions of fatherhood and motherhood were changing and evolving. On that note, I'll comment also this movie dared to state directly that a woman is not necessarily the best caregiver because of her sex (a line of Ted in the court) which was risky and relevant in a time of (second-wave) feminism.

The only thing more impressive than all of this is the screenplay and the way the story is told. It's convincing and touching throughout. As a final note, I feel that this movie would have been a lot weaker if it had chosen sides.

It's strength lies in its fair treatment of the two characters' cases, with the emphasis of course being on the man's side (since, after all, that's the side that gets less credit in these types of court situations).