Review of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) by Calvin C — 17 Jun 2012

Best Picture Winner of 1979, this story about a divorce couple fighting for custody of their young son is heartwarming, funny, and sad. Dustin Hoffman, in his Oscar winning performance, gives THE best performance of his career. Meryl Streep won her first Oscar for her role as the mother who decides to walk out on her family, only to come back months later to fight for her son. The entire movie is mostly about Hoffman and his son, played by Justin Henry, who shows how child acting should look like. It is about a dad who never really paid attention but now has to be there more than ever. Yeah, we don't really get to see the mother's side and some will see this as one-sided, but she does leave them, so it is only natural to see the father's story with the child. Plus, if the roles were reversed, there wouldn't be a lot of complaints. It's actually refreshing to see a single dad doing things that the mother usually does. It might paint Streep's character as the bad guy, but there really aren't any bad guys in this movie. The final courtroom scene is heartbreaking and it got to me a little. Not once did I feel any of the actors were acting. These felt like real people dealing with real issues and a camera was there to capture it. Divorce is always a messy subject, and one always forgets that there is sometimes a third party involved. A great human drama that shouldn't be missed.

Grade: A+.