Review of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) by Ben L — 17 Sep 2015

I was a bit surprised by Kramer vs. Kramer, because the setup at the beginning seemed be implying that Dustin Hoffman was going to be the slacker Dad and we would be sympathizing with Meryl Streep throughout.

Instead it was basically a love story between a father and his son. I loved the emotional connection they show between them and how it slowly develops over the length of the film. The characters and the situation feels very real, so I can't complain at all about the performance of the actors or the construction of the script.

However, I found little enjoyment out of the story. It's a depressing look at how our court systems can be flawed, and how broken marriages can become loaded with animosity. It's one of those strange films that I can see as well-made, but simultaneously find utterly unwatchable.

It is very slow-moving, and I get no pleasure from the subject matter. I never want to see Kramer vs. Kramer again, but I would say that people who like dramas might enjoy it, and parents will probably get more from it than childless people like me.