Tootsie (1982)

An unemployed actor with a reputation for being difficult disguises himself as a woman to get a role in a soap opera.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Larry Gelbart (screenplay), Murray Schisgal (screenplay),

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr

Won 1 Oscar. Another 29 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dustin Hoffman	...	Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels
Jessica Lange	...	Julie
Teri Garr	...	Sandy
Dabney Coleman	...	Ron
Charles Durning	...	Les
Bill Murray	...	Jeff
Sydney Pollack	...	George Fields
George Gaynes	...	John Van Horn
Geena Davis	...	April
Doris Belack	...	Rita
Ellen Foley	...	Jacqui
Peter Gatto	...	Rick
Lynne Thigpen	...	Jo
Ronald L. Schwary	...	Phil Weintraub
Debra Mooney	...	Mrs. Mallory

Storyline

Michael Dorsey is an unemployed actor with an impossible reputation. In order to find work and fund his friend's play he dresses as a woman, Dorothy Michaels, and lands the part in a daytime drama. Dorsey loses himself in this woman role and essentially becomes Dorothy Michaels, captivating women all around the city and inspiring them to break free from the control of men and become more like Dorsey's initial identity. This newfound role, however, lands Dorsey in a hot spot between a female friend/'lover,' a female co-star he falls in love with, that co-star's father who falls in love with him, and a male co-star who yearns for his affection.

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Plot Keywords:

actor | love | reputation | actress | friend | 

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Taglines:

Desperate, he took a female role and became a star. If only he could tell the woman he loves.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Would I Lie to You?

Filming Locations:

Hurley Mountain Inn, Hurley, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$177,200,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Mirage Enterprises, Punch Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Sellers and Michael Caine both turned down the role of Michael Dorsey.

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Goofs

When Dorothy and Julie are practicing their lines, her baby is sitting near her facing Dorothy in one shot, camera goes to Dorothy and then snaps back and the baby is facing in the other direction.

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Quotes

John Van Horne: I'm just an untalented old has-been.
Dorothy Michaels: Were you ever famous?
John Van Horne: No.
Dorothy Michaels: Then how can you be a has-been?

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Crazy Credits

Dustin Hoffman is credited twice: Dustin Hoffman .... Michael Dorsey Dustin Hoffman .... Dorothy Michaels

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Connections

Referenced in Mr. Sunshine: Heather's Sister (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Happy Birthday to You"
(1893) (uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill
Sung a cappella by all at the party

User Reviews

A shining comedy

Michael, an unemployed actor in New York, takes desperate measures by dressing up as a woman called Dorothy Michaels and gets a job at an TV soap opera, where he falls in love with Julie. But how to tell her that he is actually a man...?

Winner of 3 Golden Globes ( Best movie comedy/musical, best actors Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange ) and one Oscar ( Best actress Jessica Lange ), "Tootsie" is a small masterpiece of intelligent comedy, full of emotions, love and interesting observations about the relationship between women and men.

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The situations are deliciously written. Just take the scene where Dorothy is auditioning for the role in the TV soap opera but is turned down because she is "too soft". Her response is gold: "Yes, I know what you want! You want some gross caricature of a woman to prove some idiotic point, like power makes women masculine, or masculine women are ugly...! Well, shame on you, you macho sh*t a**!" When later asked from the producer if she was just acting when she said that or if she was natural, she responded: "Which answer will get me the job?" Needless to say she got the job that instant, and a special place in my heart. But the best scenes are the ones where Dorothy is constantly improvising on the set, like when she was supposed to say to a woman who was beaten up by her man to take a therapy, but instead decided to tell that she would never let a man raise his hand on her( and then she threw a vase of flowers into the wall! ). Wonderful fun! Billy Wilder would be proud!

Dustin Hoffman is pure genius, more as a woman then as a man, as are Terri Garr and Bill Murray, before his critical fame with "Lost in translation" and "Broken flowers". "Tootsie" is quite simply a classic all the way through!

Grade: 10/10