KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979)

DIVORCE WEEK continues (and concludes) with this game-changing domestic drama directed by Robert Benton (Places in the Heart, Nobody's Fool) which not only nominated for nine Oscars but would also win five Oscars including Best Picture for 1979.  Starring as the titular Kramer's are Dustin Hoffman as Ted and Meryl Streep as Joanna - they are a young married couple living in New York City with their young son Billy (Justin Henry) and suddenly one day, Joanna decides to leave.  What results is a tense situation involving not only Ted attempting to connect with Billy as a single father but their eventual divorce, including a custody battle over their son.  All three stars were also nominated for Oscars along with Jane Alexander who co-stars as Margaret, a family friend who gets caught in the middle of this conflict.  This film was also a cultural phenomenon at the time of its release, also becoming the highest grossing box office hit of 1979.   Let's see how it holds up.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

KRAMER VS KRAMER - 1979

Directed by Robert Benton 

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams, Bill Moore, and Howard Chamberlain

Genre: Legal Domestic Drama (Audio clip)

Yes this film is dated in many ways...yes the screenplay pretty much stacks the deck behind Mr. Kramer...and yes, I'm still not sure I still completely buy the ending after rewatching this several times over. But...the performances completely sell it, everyone brings their A-Game! If you have ever experienced a divorce involving children, a film like this is going to unavoidably hit some nerves along the lines of Marriage Story which came out a few years ago. Having been the father/husband in this particular scenario, I know that this film has ALWAYS resonated with me…..especially for a few years in the wake of my own divorce.  

Fair or not, it is definitely told mostly from the father/husband's POV....we watch Hoffman's Ted go through a very intricate arc of BECOMING the father that his son Billy (Justin Henry in the film's most effective performance) needs him to be. It's also very easy to see Streep's Joanna as the eventual villain of this story....after all, it was HER decision to leave and her decision to seek sole custody later on. On the surface, her character can come off as a flake who's too wrapped up with " finding herself" to truly have a handle on what her son needs. Watching this film in the immediate wake of my own divorce, I found it VERY easy to hate Joanna as not only is she given much less screentime but at times is filmed in a stark manner from a distance watching in on Billy and Ted from a distance. :/ 

We also get a feel for both the best and worst of what Ted and Karen EACH had to offer through the very empathetic performance of Jane Alexander who plays Margaret who is close friends with both of them at different points - her allegiances to then shift throughout the course of the story and we understand why. We ESPECIALLY see this through the wrenching performance of Justin Henry (who was only seven years old at the time of filming) as he portrays a very believably troubled little boy who mainly just wants some level of consistency from his parents....as do all young children. It's heartbreaking at times to just watch his Billy quietly sulk away from his father early on to go to bed after Ted has angrily dispatched him so he can get back to work...and to see the fear on his face late in the movie when he learns that he might have to leave his father. 

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

Like so many dramas from this era, this film has virtually no score and very few if any noticeable needle-drops – it’s a relatively quiet movie often driven by sequences which even have minimal dialogue including several critical ones involving Ted and Billy.  The most notable music we hear are just brief snippets of classical music at a few points throughout and for me, the highlight is a triumphant one which occurs RIGHT around the 45 minute mark.  Simple and brief but SO effective….Billy has no learned to ride his bicycle without training wheels….in Central Park as Ted cheers him on from behind, snapping pictures too.  Just a sweet moment and the composition we hear is from the Italian composer Vivaldi….Trumpet Sonata in D Major, just glorious! (Audio clip)   

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):

I think the biggest criticism you could lay on this film all of these decades later is that at the screenplay level, the motivations behind each Kramer seem oversimplified at times.  Robert Benton both directed this and adapted the screenplay - gratefully, it seems as though his directorial instincts to allow his actors to not only do a lot of improvisation but even do some rewrites to more flesh out their characters (which apparently Streep was able to do with her courtroom scenes) very much makes up for the shortcomings of his screenplay. We see enough from the method-based rat-a-tat dickishness of Hoffman's performance that he was CLEARLY an insufferable person to be married to much of the time just as we also see how clearly overwhelmed Streep's portrayal allows her to seem at times - her Joanna is clearly sensitive and empathetic but was likely WAS emotionally unequipped to deal with a demanding five year old boy on her own. All of this is there in snippets throughout - her Karen just starts to sheepishly shut down during that courtroom confrontation late in the movie with Ted's attorney even while the basis of what he's goading her into is pretty much a stretch. 

I still wish that Streep was given more screentime in retrospect but watching this again now more than a decade after my own divorce, I find it much easier to feel for her Karen as well (while still appreciating the growth shown by Hoffman's Ted)....we all have learning curves at the end of the day. ;)

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

Probably THE most critical scenes in this movie involve watching Ted and Billy having breakfast in the morning – we see this same scenario play out THREE different times throughout the movie and it becomes an excellent device for witnessing the progression of their relationship.  The FIRST one occurs during the tumultuous morning after Joanna has just left…..Ted is attempting to make french toast and yeah, it’s clear off the bat that Ted is not used to this and is in WAY over his head. (Audio clip)  

Then around the half-way point, we see them have breakfast again….only they’re each just kind of going the easy route by having coffee and donuts, reading and doing their own things. (Audio clip) 

And then there is that FINAL breakfast…..Joanna has won custody, this will be their last breakfast together before Billy has to leave, they’re MAKING French toast TOGETHER…..and the look on Billy’s face as they’re doing this.  A sweet little smile…and then….even though it’s quick and relatively quiet, it’s TRULY powerful acting and heartbreaking, it at THIS moment that their Ted and Billy’s journey has come full circle. (Audio clip) 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

The true strength of Kramer vs. Kramer comes from the empathy we are made to feel for each character through little moments like those just recounted. These are all just human beings doing their best and in the case of each of the adult Kramers, both Hoffman and Streep are adept at demonstrating the sharp learning curves which each character faced at the beginning of this story. BOTH actors also deservedly won Oscars for their perfomrances, among several other Oscars won by this film including Best Picture.  Now as for Justin Henry….he was only SEVEN YEARS OLD when this film started production – by all accounts a well-adjusted kid simply acting for the first time – well he was also nominated for an Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor making him the YOUNGEST actor to ever be nominated.  Not unfortunately unlike Meryl and Dustin, he ended up losing in his category that year…..but as far as I’m concerned, HIS performance is what is essential to this film working as well as it does.  It’s Billy who’s not only at the center of this story but even with significantly less screentime than Hoffman, THIS KID has to sell the emotions of what he’s going through.  I mean WHO could forget that ice cream scene about a third of the way through?  Watching him defiantly TEST his father…and then Billy’s breakdown during their painful exchange in his bedroom immediately after.  (Audio clip)

The kid just NAILS this scene and everything else before and after….for pulling off what is likely among THE greatest child performances in the history of cinema, Justin Henry is the MVP. (Audio clip) 

Final Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

In case it wasn’t already obvious, any discussion of this film on my part is very personal…..it’s honestly hard for me to be objective, this movie just grabs me and never lets go.  So I can’t speak for any one who might not be able to personally relate to what occurs on-screen.  Regardless, great drama IS great drama no matter how relatable….and Happy 45TH Anniversary to a seminal drama for its time, back when divorce was not as prevalent nor as mainstream as it is today.  Films like this are important cultural stepping stones and I’m eternally grateful that this one was made. 

Streaming on Hulu, BBC America, and Showtime TV

And that ends another IRRECONCILIBLE review!