Oldies Review - Kramer Vs. Kramer

Director: Robert Benton
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 1979
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams, Bill moor, Howland Chamberlain, Jack Ramage, Jess Osuna, Nicolas Hofmann, Ellen Parker, Shelby Brammer, Carol Nadell

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 11: A MOVIE FROM THE 70S

Description: After Joanna (Meryl Streep) leaves her husband Ted (Dustin Hoffman), Ted rediscovers his bond with his son Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple’s son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.

Review: Ted Kramer is a busy businessman with a job that takes up a lot of his time. When Ted comes home after a long day at work and after bringing in a big deal, his wife Joanna is about to leave him. Joanna has had enough of her life where Ted is negligent and leaves him with their young son Billy. Now that he is on his own, Ted must find a balance between work and his son.
Ted has quite a hard time doing this. He wakes up late, burns food and lashes out at Billy. The frustration reaches a boiling point when Billy refuses to eat his dinner one night and decides to eat ice cream against his father’s wishes. Ted gets angry and Billy goes to bed crying. Fortunately, they make up and things go a lot better from then on. Ted finds a routine and can balance his work life with being a father for Billy. Until Joanna suddenly turns up again.
For a film with mayor names like Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, this movie feels so small. And I love it. It only has a few characters and it takes place in a few different locations. And the story deals with troubles in one family. Big problems told in a small story.
The movie starts with Joanna’s departure and you seem to sympathize with her. You understand that she can’t deal with Ted working all the time. She gave up a good job to be a mom, but that isn’t enough for her anymore. You still don’t fully understand why she would leave her son as well. Along the way, you begin to feel more and more for Ted as he begins to emerge as a good father. And you will probably take his side in the battle.
The acting is powerful and so strong. Especially Dustin Hoffman blew me away. And it’s definitely a film you must see.

 Rating: 4,5/ 5