Rain Man

What happens when a fast-talking salesman meets his long lost, autistic older brother? Watch Rain Man and you'll find out.
In this 1988 movie, Tom Cruise (pre- couch jumping, of course) stars as a young, money-minded Lamborghini salesman (Charlie Babbit) who is on the way to Palm Springs with his exotic girlfriend when he learns that his father has died. He flies home to attend the reading of his will, when he learns that $3 million of his father's estate has gone into trust. In debt to a client and in need of the money, he investigates where the money is coming from.

Charlie traces the money back to a mental institution, and learns that he actually has an older brother, Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman), who is an autistic savant. He has an excellent memory, but does not understand simple concepts. Charlie takes him from the mental institution in an attempt to win his share of the $3 million, but instead Raymond makes him re-think how he treats others.

I like Charlie's transformation throughout the movie. Cruise really makes you hate the character at the beginning; he's pompous, stuck-up, and doesn't show affection-- not even to his girlfriend. He's such a jerk, and exploits Raymond at various points throughout the movie. One in particular, when Charlie brings Raymond along to a Vegas casino, since he knows that Raymond knows the cards.

The person who steals the show, however, is Hoffman. His portrayal of Raymond won him an Academy Award, and no award was better deserved than this one. He really is in his own little world throughout the movie, and it is just an amazing performance.

Overall, not my favorite movie by a stretch. It's a little repetetive and Charlie's attitude gets exhausting after a while. The movie feels like it goes nowhere for a big part of the movie. But I loved how Charlie comes to love his newfound brother, and I love seeing how Raymond reacts to different situations. Both great actors make for a great movie.

In a pivotal scene, Raymond expresses his dislike for flying, while Charlie tries to convince him that flying is perfectly safe. It's a great example of how self-centered Charlie is, as well as how much information Raymond knows off the top of his head.