Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Ted Kramer's wife leaves him, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple's son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Avery Corman (from the novel by), Robert Benton (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander

Won 5 Oscars. Another 34 wins & 25 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.

---

Plot Keywords:

divorce | voyeurism | no panties | topless female nudity | scantily clad female | 

---

Taglines:

There are three sides to this love story!

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

From the minute that producer Stanley R. Jaffe and writer and director Robert Benton first read Avery Corman's source novel, the only actor envisioned in the lead was Dustin Hoffman.

---

Goofs

When picking Billy up from the b-day party, Ted's hand goes down twice when he's given the 'goodie' bag.

---

Quotes

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

---

Alternate Versions

When aired on commercial TV, the shots of Phyllis naked, and her unexpected interaction with Billy, are darkened completely. Most commercial prints also omit the sound of Billy urinating.

---

Connections

Referenced in Animaniacs: A Hard Day's Warners/Gimme a Break/Please Please Please Get a Life Foundation (1995)

---

Soundtracks

Jingle Bells
(1857) (uncredited)
Written by James Pierpont
Sung a cappella by Justin Henry

User Reviews

Going Up?

A beautifully done film rich with symbolisms that could be invisible to the unaware eyes. The elevator scene for example symbolizes two main themes of the movie, separation and emotion. One could notice that the first scene showed Joanna going down the elevator, symbolizing her feeling of depression, likewise Ted goes down the elevator after the last trial scene - knowing that he probably lost the case. On the other hand, Ted brings Billy to see his new office and it was another elevator trip but this time going up, showing the joy and excitement both have. Lastly, one could notice that both Ted and Joanna never are together in one elevator - with this we can foresee that they will never get together even in the end. The symbolism of separation with the use of the elevator shows this even though we never find out in the end.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kramer contre Kramer

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$106,260,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$106,260,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Stanley Jaffe Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1