Review of Rain Man (1988) by Riren — 28 Jan 2007

Those who negatively criticize Hoffman's performance likely have no experience with idiot savants. Those who negatively criticize Cruise's performance likely don't like him to begin with and don't care what he does.

Here we have a bold movie; one where the veteran actor plays distant, and the younger actor must play to him. The characters validate each other's existances like no other pair in any movie, be it drama, romance or comedy.

And Rain Man manages to pack a good deal of drama and humor into itself. This is a movie about disability and inability, but it's also about compromise, compassion and humility - each trait leading to the next.

It's touching and tender in unfashionable ways. It was about damn time somebody made a movie like this.