Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is an car dealer who's selfish and struggling. When he was young, he took his dad's car and crashed it, and when his dad died, he left three million dollars in his will to somebody else. Frustrated, Charlie finds out that the money was left to an autistic brother he never knew of, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). He's got the memory of an elephant (particularly with statistics) and lives in his own world at the Walbrook Institute. In order to swindle his brother for some of the money, Charlie takes Raymond on a cross-country trip to help Raymond have the time of his life.
This has a very interesting story, as many directors passed on the concept of the film when the idea was first conceived, thinking it was too difficult to put on the big screen. This film does a fantastic job of analyzing two characters who barely know each other but eventually bond as brothers. Rain Man feels very artistic and unique while feeling very modest at the same time, which I always appreciate. Barry Levinson was definitely worthy of winning an Oscar for the fantastic direction of this film.
Tom Cruise gives one of the best performances of his career, and his presence is unforgettable with his wit, charm, and energy. He is always attention-catching, and he is never boring. The consistency that Cruise gives throughout the film is one of the best Oscar-snubbed performances in the history of Oscar-winning films (along with Martin Sheen for Apocalypse Now and Joseph Fiennes for Shakespeare in Love).
Of course, most people cannot forget one of Hollywood's top method actors Dustin Hoffman as Raymond. Throughout the film, he was always the biggest pain in the ass to watch - and to me, that's the sign of a successful performance. As he was always a nuisance to Cruise throughout the trip made me frustrated yet sympathetic because the character is very sensitive. For example, the reason why Charlie and Raymond go on a cross-country trip is because Ray is scared of going on planes because he knows about every plane crash in history from each flight company. You know he doesn't need to worry, but it's the character's sensitivity that Charlie knows he must take Ray if he wants the money.
Rain Man is a very powerful, touching film that isn't perfect, but still feels like an experience. It receives a great 3.5/4. If it were remade today - which it shouldn't be - it would still feel as unique and as fresh as ninety percent of Hollywood's output. Except for the new Les Mis. Nothing will feel more fresh than that.
