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 33 wins & 23 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:

divorce | marriage | child custody | divorcee | single parent | 

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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 Versus 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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Stanley Jaffe Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final courtroom scene had one important re-write: Joanna's explanation of why she left. Robert Benton feared major delays but, in fact, Meryl Streep had in mind what she wanted, and quickly re-wrote the monologue. Benton said, "Well, the scene is brilliant. I cut only two lines. What you see there is hers."

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Goofs

When Ted goes to apply for a job, the date is Friday, December 22. Near the end of the film when Ted's lawyer reads the court ruling, the ruling is dated Monday, January 23. If December 22 was a Friday (as it was in 1978), then it's impossible that January 23 fell on a Monday. In fact, the next time January 23 fell on a Monday wasn't until 1984.

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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

Featured in The 75th Annual Academy Awards (2003)

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Soundtracks

Concerto in C Major for Mandolin and Strings: 1. Allegro
Antonio Vivaldi
Adapted and Conducted by Herb Harris

User Reviews

Dustin Hoffman rocks & gets rocked in 1970's NYC Ad World

This is probably the best cinematic depiction of life in a Manhattan ad agency: the pressure to perform; client and agency demands; the parties; the creativity; the money; the cool surface with powerful corporate undercurrents.

Toss in parenthood for Dustin Hoffman.

The movie is textured and deep. It follows his internal relationship as he tries to understand and live with what's going on; his relationship with Meryl Streep (and her friend, who becomes his friend), and his the relationship with his son.

While Meryl Streep was great, did she set the record for least screen time to win an Oscar? She sure can deliver when she is on, though.