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| The poster for Robert Benton's Kramer vs. Kramer wisely keeps a blissful atmosphere |
Kramer vs. Kramer is one of those 70s classics that you just have to have seen. - And if you haven't yet, get a hold of it, because it's a masterpiece.
It's the third directorial effort of screenwriter Robert Benton (The Human Stain (2003)), who had already written other classics like Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and What's Up, Doc? (1972). He adapted the same-titled 1977 novel by Avery Corman (Prized Possessions (1992)).
Ted & Joanna Kramer's marriage is over. He has been working too much, while she has grown increasingly unhappy, and she now decides to leave him and their young son for a while.
My plot summary above doesn't contain most of the film's story, because I don't want to give away the emotional journey that the film covers. Kramer vs. Kramer shows the break-up of a 'good' marriage, (I mean that in the sense that it is not one that is haunted by violence, alcoholism, drugs, cheating or other unpleasantries), SPOILER and how a custody battle in a modern world might play. The title is, in a sense, a contrast to the film at hand, SPOILER because, while Ted and Joanna ultimately do fight each other in court, they never go to all-out war with each other, and the tenderness that most married couples feel for each other even after a divorce also has its place here.
Benton's Oscar-winning script keeps the plot moving and the characters evolving in a believable way, as we witness them, which is exhilarating and rare to witness. The film seems archetypal and very plausible at the same time. It is heightened by several simple yet golden scenes, (SPOILER my favorite might be Ted's first morning alone with his son), great, Oscar-nominated cinematography by Néstor Almendros (The Blue Lagoon (1980)), pitch perfect, Oscar-nominated editing by Gerald B. Greenberg (American History X (1998)) and excellent choices of original, classical music pieces by Vivaldi, Henry Purcell and others that play extremely well in scenes around the dialog scenes.
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| The glorious Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer in Robert Benton's Kramer vs. Kramer |
The details:
Two vital ingredients are what make Kramer vs. Kramer stand out and transcend most other divorce dramas:
Dustin Hoffman (Finding Neverland (2004)) and Meryl Streep (Rendition (2007)), who both won their first Oscars here and engender their roles to a remarkable degree, making them nuanced and almost palpably real to us. They are both truly amazing here.
And they are backed by several other great actors' performances; especially Justin Henry (Sixteen Candles (1984)), who was Oscar-nominated as little Billy Kramer is incredibly well-playing, and Jane Alexander (The Blacklist (2013-14)) as neighbor Margaret, George Coe (Funny People (2009)) as Ted's boss and Howard Duff (Too Much Sun (1990)) as his lawyer also give excellent characterizations.
Benton has made it all come to life so vividly, intelligently, perfectly, eliciting tears and a little laughter in just the right dose for the subject. Kramer vs. Kramer is a gem.
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| Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer in Robert Benton's Kramer vs. Kramer |
Watch the original trailer for the movie here
Cost: 8 mil. $
Box office: 106.2 mil. $ (North America only)
= Blockbuster
[Kramer vs. Kramer was unbelievably successful, especially for an exclusively adult drama about divorce, and it's the kind of success that 'serious' movie lovers everywhere would love to see materialize again, because it allows for many serious adult movies to be made in its wake. The film won 5 Oscars; besides the ones mentioned, it also won Best Picture and Best Director, making Benton a two-time Oscar winner overnight, (he would win his third for his writing of Places in the Heart (1984)). Alexander was also nominated as Best Supporting Actress, and the film won and was nominated for a heap of other awards worldwide. A shame the international gross figures don't seem to be out on the web, but it appears from the few numbers that are available that the film was a global hit.]
What do you think of Kramer vs. Kramer?
What other superior films of divorce can you mention?
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