Review of Rain Man (1988) by Brett A — 20 Jan 2011

An extraordinary film of prime importance, Rain Man portrays the life of a man living with severe autism and his self-absorbed brother whose views of his new-found relative gradually change over a period of time. Dustin Hoffman is Raymond Babbitt, the autistic one; Tom Cruise the other, Charlie Babbitt and both their performances are by far above-average as they travel cross country (with Raymond consistently musing "I'm an excellent driver"). For Charlie is seeking the inheritance left by his father not to himself but to his older brother, who is oblivious to the idea of money.

It's simultaneously a joy and a great difficulty to watch as the two begin to bond in not the most conventional way. You could say this film opens people's eyes to the reality of living with someone with autism; indeed many of the characters seem oblivious to the idea of disability. It's well shot and is ultimately completed by the utterly, utterly beautiful Valeria Golino in the role of Charlie's girlfriend, who is sympathetic to Raymond's cause. Speaking from the point of view of someone who actually has Asperger's, it's a generally accurate dramatisation of autism, even if Raymond's blackjack skills and incomprehensible memory seem a little far-fetched.