Rain Man (1988)
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A selfish wheeler-dealer must navigate a cross-country journey with his estranged brother, an autistic savant.
The story
Charlie Babbitt, an abrasive and selfish wheeler-dealer, is in the middle of importing four grey market Lamborghinis to Los Angeles for resale. When he learns that his estranged father has died, he travels to Cincinnati to settle the estate. There, he discovers that the bulk of the inheritance has been left to his older brother, Raymond, an autistic savant of whom Charlie was previously unaware. To gain control of the money, Charlie decides to take Raymond with him. The two brothers must then navigate a cross-country journey to Los Angeles, dealing with Raymond's strict routines and the complications of their shared history.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Charlie Babbitt, a high-stakes collectibles dealer, is struggling to deliver a shipment of Lamborghinis when he learns his estranged father has died. The majority of the estate is left to his brother Raymond, an autistic savant. Charlie takes Raymond on a road trip to Los Angeles to secure the inheritance. Along the way, Charlie learns of their shared past and Raymond's unique abilities, such as complex calculations. In Las Vegas, they use Raymond's card-counting skills to win money to cover Charlie's debts. Ultimately, Charlie chooses to forgo a large payout from Raymond's doctor to maintain a genuine relationship with his brother, and the two agree to stay together as siblings.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Barry Levinson
- Writers
- Barry Morrow · screenplay; Ronald Bass · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Dustin Hoffman · Raymond; Tom Cruise · Charlie; Valeria Golino · Susanna; Jerry Molen · Dr. Gerald Bruner; Jack Murdock · John Mooney; Michael D. Roberts · Vern; Ralph Seymour · Lenny; Lucinda Jenney · Iris
- Genres
- comedy; drama
- Themes
- brotherhood; autism; family
- Tone and mood
- drama; comedy
- Setting
- Cincinnati, Las Vegas, and the road to Los Angeles in 1988.
- Premise and plot tags
- road trip; savants; siblings
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, praised for its direction, performances, and portrayal of autism.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.10 · scale: 10 · review count: 136; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 18
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Win; Academy Award · Best Actor · Win; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · Win
- Production trivia
- The character of Raymond was based on real-life savant Kim Peek.; The film was intended to be more about the relationship between the brothers than the disability.; The film is known for popularizing the misconception that card counting is illegal in the United States.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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