RAIN MAN (1988) C widescreen 128m dir: Barry Levinson

w/Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Jerry Molen, Jack Murdock, Michael Roberts, Ralph Seymour, Lucinda Jenney, Bonnie Hunt, Kim Robillard

From The Movie Guide: "Well written, smartly directed, and sensitively performed, RAIN MAN depicts the one-sided relationship between two brothers, self-centered Los Angeles hustler Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) and the older Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an autistic resident of a home for the mentally disabled. Their father's estate, worth $3 million, has been left in trust to Raymond, and figuring he can force the trustee to turn over half of the inheritance, Charlie abducts Raymond and attempts to fly him back to Los Angeles. Raymond --- an idiot savant who can cite airline crash statistics and other bizarre facts and figures in astounding detail --- refuses to fly, however, forcing the pair to drive from Cincinnati to LA in their father's car. As they make their way across the country, the emotionally unreachable Raymond becomes the catalyst for Charlie's transformation from a self-absorbed character incapable of intimacy into a caring and sympathetic adult. RAIN MAN rises above the banality of its concept --- another buddy movie crossbred with a road picture --- to become a genuinely moving and intelligent look at what it means to be human. Hoffman delivers a magnificent stunt of a performance; Cruise brings depth and conviction to the emotional development of his character; and Valeria Golino (as Charlie's girlfriend) gives the film an extra spark."

RAIN MAN won four Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Hoffman), and Original Screenplay (Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow). It was also nominated for Best Cinematography (John Seale), Editing (Stu Linder), Score (Hans Zimmer), and Art Direction (Ida Random, Linda DeScenna).