Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

A just-divorced man must learn to care for his son on his own, and then must fight in court to keep custody of him.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Avery Corman (novel), Robert Benton (screenplay)

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander

Won 5 Oscars. Another 38 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dustin Hoffman	...	Ted Kramer
Meryl Streep	...	Joanna Kramer
Jane Alexander	...	Margaret Phelps
Justin Henry	...	Billy Kramer
Howard Duff	...	John Shaunessy
George Coe	...	Jim O'Connor
JoBeth Williams	...	Phyllis Bernard (as Jobeth Williams)
Bill Moor	...	Gressen
Howland Chamberlain	...	Judge Atkins
Jack Ramage	...	Spencer
Jess Osuna	...	Ackerman
Nicholas Hormann	...	Interviewer
Ellen Parker	...	Teacher
Shelby Brammer	...	Ted's Secretary
Carol Nadell	...	Mrs. Kline

Storyline

Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy. When he has learned to adjust his life to these new responsibilities, Joanna resurfaces and wants Billy back. Ted, however, refuses to give him up, so they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.

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Plot Keywords:

custody | advertising | marriage | divorce | blood | 

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Taglines:

There are three sides to this love story!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kramer gegen Kramer

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$106,300,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jane Fonda turned down the part of Joanna Kramer.

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Goofs

When Ted is first making French Toast, he picks up the egg in his right hand; when he shows it to Billy before breaking it, it's in his left hand; when the camera goes to closeup as he breaks the egg, it's back in his right hand. Dustin Hoffman's disheveled hair also changes wildly in that scene.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Joanna Kramer: I love you, Billy.
Billy Kramer: I love you too, Mommy.

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Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Sonata for Trumpet and Strings: 2. Adagio 3. Presto: The Gordian Knot Untied 4. Rondo Minuet"
Henry Purcell
Adapted by John Kander
Conducted by Paul Gemignani

User Reviews

What a terrific acting movie

I consider myself lucky that I got to view a wonderful movie with two marvelous actors. "Kramer vs. Kramer" was great to me because I think I could relate to it.

Unfortunately, my parents are divorced. Even though I was older than Billy in this movie, I felt his pain and confusion. Having two parents who you thought were happy and end up hating each other is the worst. Through this movie, actually, I think it made me realize that my parents are people too, and they had as just much pain as my sister and I had.

Back to the movie, this was a good one. Yes, it's dated and Meryl and Dustin are very young. But I would recommend this for a lot of people, because I think most can relate in some way. There are funny, sad, happy, and relieving moments that are carried away terrificly by these great actors. It's a good movie and deserves more credit than a 7.5.

9/10