Week 10: Rain Man

Class meeting May 11

This week's movie is "Rain Man" (1988, 113mins). It starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It's a drama about a self-centered, wheeler-dealer who learns his estranged father left most of his money to an unknown brother, who happens to be an autistic savant.

In 1989, the film won Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Dustin Hoffman), Best Director (Barry Levinson), Best Writing - Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow), and Best Picture.

I chose this movie because it was so popular at the time. Many of the lines of dialog have become part of American language and our shared culture.

Here's the Wikipedia page and the transcript.

Think about these questions while you watch the film:

1. Why do you think no one ever told Charlie he had a brother?

2. Do you think Charlie would be a good guardian for Raymond?

3. Do you think Raymond should be allowed to live independently or should he be confined to an institution?

4. How does Charlie change from the beginning of the movie to the end?