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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Kramer
vs. Kramer
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Reviewed
by: |
Rachel
Hughes |
| Genre: |
Drama |
| Video: |
Widescreen
Anamorphic 1.85:1 |
| Audio: |
Mono |
| Language: |
English and
French |
| Subtitle: |
English,
French, Spainsh, Protuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai |
| Length: |
1hr 45mins |
| Rating: |
PG |
| Release
Date: |
8-28-01 |
| Studio: |
Columbia
Tristar |
| Commentary:
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None |
| Documentaries:
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"Finding
the Truth: The Making of Kramer vs Kramer" |
| Featurettes:
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None |
| Filmography/Biography:
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None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Yes |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
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None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Dustin Hoffman,
Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander and Justin Henry |
| Screenplay
by: |
Robert Benton
based upon the novel by Avery Corman |
| Produced
by: |
Stanley R Jaffe |
| Directed
By: |
Robert Benton |
| Music: |
Herb Harris and John
Kander |
| The
Review: |
"Kramer
vs. Kramer" won five well-deserved Oscars for bringing to the
screen the difficult subject of divorce. Hoffman is wonderful
as Ted Kramer, a workaholic father and husband so focused on
his career that he doesn't realize his family is falling apart.
Streep plays his wife, Joanna, who can no longer bear her unhappiness
and leaves her husband and son. Suddenly Ted must find a balance
between home and work. When he has finally achieved it, Joanna
returns and wants custody of their son. When the movie first
debuted in 1979, this was one of the first honest portraits
of a divorced family. It was controversial, both for its truth
and the fact that the mother left the home, not the father.
It was almost inconceivable for a mother to abandon her child,
and yet here it is portrayed as a difficult, heart-wrenching
decision, though the best one she could make at the time. This
is a wonderful movie that illustrates the importance of family,
and the bonds that bind them. ***Despite all its wonders, this
movie did not age well. After what we see on television on such
shows as "Divorce Court" and "The Jerry Springer Show," this
custody battle was a walk in the park. Sure a few toes may have
been stepped on, but it is lacking the cruelty in which most
custody battles are fought today. In addition if the movie had
taken place today, he probably would have won. The courts are
siding less and less frequently with the mother, and looking
more at who the more suitable parent would be. While it is a
touching movie, it is difficult to relate to. Sadly, many parents
today are much more vicious during divorce. |
| Image
and Sound |
Since the
mood of the movie was a somber one, the colors were all neutrals
and slightly muted. There were no bright blue skies, or flashy
clothing. The flesh tones though were warm and well done. The
picture quality itself was acceptable given the films age. There
were a lot of artifacts, but they were not distracting. The
edges on the film were sharp. Overall it is an average transfer.
**The sound is disappointing. Instead of the 5.1, or even 5.1
that we are normally accustomed to, here we have 2.0, standard
mono sound. The sound quality was great, there were no pops
or hisses, and the actors could all be heard. While it could
be said that since the movie is all talking, then it shouldn't
be a big deal. However I have found that even in movie such
as this having the 5.0 makes a difference. |
| The
Extras |
Although
it doesn't boast a huge assortment of extras, it does have the
wonderful documentary "Finding the Truth: The Making of Kramer
vs. Kramer." This runs for almost 50 minutes and features new
interviews with all the stars and director. Hoffman is especially
verbal, and you learn why making this film became so personal
to him. There are stories about casting all the actors, what
it was like working with each other, and you find out how much
of the film was improvised. This is one of the most telling
documentaries I have seen about the making of a film. **Also
included are three trailers. There is the original for "Kramer
vs. Kramer, one for "Hero" and one for "Hook." To round out
the extras there is a selected filmography for all the principle
actors and the director. |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
The film
won five Oscars for a reason. It is an emotional story performed
by incredibly gifted actors, and helmed by an insightful director.
It is worth watching if you haven't seen it before. However
this isn't the type of movie you end up watching over and over
again. This one is definitely worth renting so you can see the
great documentary. |
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