KRAMER VS KRAMER

Yes, yes, I know, shocking. A disgrace. How can one possibly not have watched this… I, however, somehow managed and thus here you find me pounding away at my keyboard, in the attempt to share this films with other misfits like me or take the rest of you down memory lane… Now, I am aware of the fact that 1979 isn’t exactly an eon away but still… Check out Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman (CLICK)… My God… And while you’re at it – you remember (or if not you saw him on the dvd cover back then) that they play a couple who has a six year-old son, right? Look at him (Justin Henry) now! Haha, maybe it WAS an eon away after all… But I digress… The film was won five Oscars® and was nominated for a further 3 more (including the above-mentioned Justin Henry, quite an achievement for a six year-old I’d say!) and deserves a touch more respect.

Okey-dokey artichokey; so, Kramer vs Kramer is the story of a family – the Kramer family. Ted (Dusin Hoffman) works in advertising. He’s talented and ambitious which makes him good at his job but a far from ideal father and husband. It’s ok, he loves his family in his own way but the fact remains that he is… Absent. His wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) has become a homemaker after birth of their son Billy (Justin Henry). She is not particularly happy with her lot and Ted’s constant absence (physically and/or mentally) is not helping them solve the matter. Thus one day she just gets up and leaves – leaving her six-year old son in the care of his father. Ted is devastated by her absence and struggles to adapt to his new double-role – yet succeeds brilliantly. He is closer to his son than he has ever been, ok on the job side things slip occasionally but one has to have ones’ priorities… So all seems to be going well until Joanna shows up almost a year later… And demands to have her son back…

Now this, in my humble opinion, is a film that every cinephile should watch. It is without a doubt the first of a genre, the “granddaddy” of a lot of – if not all – modern family dramas. And when I say drama, don’t go thinking it’s a tear-jerker. I mean, you will get a bit moist round the eyes from time to time but it’s not unrealistic or overdone… It’s very realistic portrait of something that is considered commonplace back in the day – yet not so much so back in the day : Divorce. It’s effect on the children, on the couple… And also the heeling process and moving on – for everyone. And besides there are some scenes simply worth watching for the “aww” value – Justin Henry’s absolutely ADORABLE (shame he doesn’t seem have done any “substantial” acting since… As for Dustin Hoffman floundering to adapt to actually being there and looking after Billy will have all the ladies ROARING with laughter – and this is a tribute to Mr. Hoffmans’ considerable talents. He is SO natural… A warm and fuzzy classic with a rollercoaster of emotion. Now get out there and watch it.