Kramer vs. Kramer
Academy Award × 5
Rent/Purchase
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.
What critics thought
A quietly devastating domestic drama that critics embraced almost unanimously at release, with Hoffman and Streep's performances the clear focal point of admiration. The main source of tension in the reception wasn't artistic but legal — lawyers and judges publicly objected that the custody proceedings were already outdated by 1979 standards, ignoring joint custody and psychological evaluations entirely. One mildly dissenting voice within the praise found the emotional beats mechanical, suggesting the actors carry the film further than its architecture deserves.
“His characters aren't just talking to each other, they're revealing things about themselves and can sometimes be seen in the act of learning about their own motives. That's what makes Kramer vs. Kramer such a touching film: We get the feeling at times that personalities are changing and decisions are being made even as we watch them.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Kramer vs. Kramer never loses its low-key, realistic touch. You will sit at the end of the film wondering why we don't see more pictures like this. After all, its story is not all that unusual.”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
“All the people go through expected difficulties the way that runners take the hurdles in a track event: no surprise in it, it's just a question of how they do it. But the actors make it more.”
Stanley Kauffmann·The New Republic
“Stories on screen about men leaving women, and women leaving men have been abundant as of late, but hardly any has grappled with the issue in such a forthright and honest fashion as Kramer ... While a nasty court battle ensues, the human focus is never abandoned, and it's to the credit of not only Benton and Jaffe, but especially Hoffman and Streep, that both leading characters emerge as credible and sympathetic.”
Variety
Genres
Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorRobert Benton
StarringDustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry, Howard Duff
ComposerJohn Kander, Herb Harris
Kramer vs. Kramer
Academy Award × 5
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.
What critics thought
A quietly devastating domestic drama that critics embraced almost unanimously at release, with Hoffman and Streep's performances the clear focal point of admiration. The main source of tension in the reception wasn't artistic but legal — lawyers and judges publicly objected that the custody proceedings were already outdated by 1979 standards, ignoring joint custody and psychological evaluations entirely. One mildly dissenting voice within the praise found the emotional beats mechanical, suggesting the actors carry the film further than its architecture deserves.
“His characters aren't just talking to each other, they're revealing things about themselves and can sometimes be seen in the act of learning about their own motives. That's what makes Kramer vs. Kramer such a touching film: We get the feeling at times that personalities are changing and decisions are being made even as we watch them.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Kramer vs. Kramer never loses its low-key, realistic touch. You will sit at the end of the film wondering why we don't see more pictures like this. After all, its story is not all that unusual.”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
“All the people go through expected difficulties the way that runners take the hurdles in a track event: no surprise in it, it's just a question of how they do it. But the actors make it more.”
Stanley Kauffmann·The New Republic
“Stories on screen about men leaving women, and women leaving men have been abundant as of late, but hardly any has grappled with the issue in such a forthright and honest fashion as Kramer ... While a nasty court battle ensues, the human focus is never abandoned, and it's to the credit of not only Benton and Jaffe, but especially Hoffman and Streep, that both leading characters emerge as credible and sympathetic.”
Variety
Genres
Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorRobert Benton
StarringDustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry, Howard Duff
ComposerJohn Kander, Herb Harris
Rent/Purchase