Rain Man (1988)
- Barry Levinson originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Before Dustin Hoffman was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
Rain Man is a 1988 American drama directed by Barry Levinson. Tom Cruise stars as Charlie Babbitt, a self-centered, fast-talking Los Angeles car dealer who discovers, upon his father's death, that his $3 million inheritance has been left to an institution caring for his older brother Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman, an autistic savant whose existence Charlie never knew about. Charlie essentially kidnaps Raymond from the institution and drives him cross-country to Los Angeles, intending to negotiate custody as leverage for the money.
During their road trip, Charlie's resentment gives way to genuine affection as he discovers Raymond's extraordinary memory, his rigid routines, and the brother he never had. Dustin Hoffman's performance as Raymond โ meticulous, repetitive, simultaneously brilliant and helpless โ won the Academy Award for Best Actor and became the most famous portrayal of autism in cinema, profoundly influencing public awareness of the condition for decades. Rain Man won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, and earned $354 million worldwide on a $25 million budget.
