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 The Special Edition DVD of Rain Man (1988) once again offers a chance to see one of those movies you can see over and over again. The genius in this film of Tom Cruise as Charlie and Dustin Hoffman as his brother, Raymond, keeps viewers laughing long after the movie is over. The cast also inlcudes Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Bonnie Hunt and Ralph Seymour.
Charlie is a self-centered hustler who will use anyone to get ahead, probably his own mother if she were still alive. He hustles at buying and selling cars, but is always one step away from dealing with angry customers.
After learning that his estranged father has died, Charlie is summoned back to the wealthy neighborhood where he grew up. At the reading of the will, he's not surprised to discover his father has left him practically nothing, but he's stunned to learn that nearly the entire estate was left to a special-care facility. That cannot compare, however, to Charlie's shock when he learns he has an autistic brother at the facility, or his outrage that no one ever told him about Raymond.
 Charlie goes to meet Raymond and learns about his tics, his special needs, and how autism works. He tries to relate to Raymond, but cannot. Full of revenge because the institution will get millions and he will have nothing but his dad's classic car, Charlie takes Raymond (without approval) and hits the road.
The trip begins both a journey to discovery and an amusing window into watching two brothers, totally different in every way, who oppose each other and then connect in a powerful way.
Cruise is excellent at taking Charlie though his character's growth, going from selfish and uninvolved to tender and caring. Hoffman, always an amazing and focused actor, does not disappoint in Rain Man. He's totally believable throughout the story and responsible for many funny scenes in which his character worries about getting underwear at K-Mart, pleads with Charlie to let him drive, and insists on watching "Judge Wapner" at a specific time of day.
Tom Cruise & Valeria Golino
The whirlwind road trip of stealing Charlie might have Raymond discovering America, Las Vagas and using his skill with numbers to win some money, but it also has Charlie learning about real love, realizing how he's treated his girlfriend Susanna (Valeria Golino) -- whom Raymond gets acrush on as well -- and  other important elements of life that he's been too busy to undertsand.
Tom Cruise recently revealed on the Oprah show that the scene where he and Dustin are in the phone booth and Raymond farts and announces it out loud, was not part of the script. Cruise said it was a very hot day, they couldn't open the door of the phone booth because the camera was up against the door, so he had to make up his own dialogue to go along with Dustin's. That relevation makes the scene even funnier.
Bonnie Hunt
Ron Bass and Barrow Morrow's screenplay for Rain Man was incredible. It had a mix of humor, romance, poignancy, emotion, discernment and compassion - all elements difficult to blend into one story.
There's a reason Rain Man won four Academy Awards in 1988 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay), and watching the DVD again authenticates those awards.
Special Features
Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Barrow Morrow - story, Barrow Morrow and Ronald Bass - screenplay
Cast: Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Bonnie Hunt, Ralph Seymour
Rating: R for Adult Situations/Not For Children/Adult Language/Profanity/Sexual Situations
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 5 out of 5
DVD Release Date: 3/03/2004
Run Time: 134 minutes
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Format: Color - widescreen version
Photo credits: MGM Home Entertainment
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