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IMDbPro

Tootsie

  • 19821982
  • PGPG
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
106K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,117
186
Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:20
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Romance
Michael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.Michael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.Michael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
106K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,117
186
  • Director
    • Sydney Pollack
  • Writers
    • Don McGuire(story by)
    • Larry Gelbart(story by)
    • Murray Schisgal(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Dustin Hoffman
    • Jessica Lange
    • Teri Garr
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sydney Pollack
  • Writers
    • Don McGuire(story by)
    • Larry Gelbart(story by)
    • Murray Schisgal(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Dustin Hoffman
    • Jessica Lange
    • Teri Garr
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 265User reviews
    • 98Critic reviews
    • 88Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 25 wins & 30 nominations total

    Videos4

    Tootsie
    Trailer 1:20
    Tootsie
    Tootsie
    Trailer 2:05
    Tootsie
    Tootsie
    Trailer 2:03
    Tootsie
    "Chernobyl" Star Jared Harris Has Never Seen 'Dirty Dancing'
    Full Episode 3:17
    "Chernobyl" Star Jared Harris Has Never Seen 'Dirty Dancing'

    Photos132

    Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman and Charles Durning in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman, Teri Garr, and Sydney Pollack in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
    Geena Davis and Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)
    Tootsie (1982)
    Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dustin Hoffman
    Dustin Hoffman
    • Michael Dorsey…
    Jessica Lange
    Jessica Lange
    • Julie
    Teri Garr
    Teri Garr
    • Sandy
    Dabney Coleman
    Dabney Coleman
    • Ron
    Charles Durning
    Charles Durning
    • Les
    Bill Murray
    Bill Murray
    • Jeff
    Sydney Pollack
    Sydney Pollack
    • George Fields
    George Gaynes
    George Gaynes
    • John Van Horn
    Geena Davis
    Geena Davis
    • April
    Doris Belack
    Doris Belack
    • Rita
    Ellen Foley
    Ellen Foley
    • Jacqui
    Peter Gatto
    • Rick
    Lynne Thigpen
    Lynne Thigpen
    • Jo
    Ronald L. Schwary
    Ronald L. Schwary
    • Phil Weintraub
    Debra Mooney
    Debra Mooney
    • Mrs. Mallory
    Amy Lawrence
    • Amy
    Kenny Sinclair
    • Boy
    Susan Merson
    Susan Merson
    • Page
    • Director
      • Sydney Pollack
    • Writers
      • Don McGuire(story by)
      • Larry Gelbart(story by) (screenplay by)
      • Murray Schisgal(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The crew would only give bad news to Dustin Hoffman if he was in drag. They said he was "much nicer as a woman".
    • Goofs
      The airborne panning view of midtown Manhattan (a transition shot after the montage of Dorothy's magazine photo-shoots, filmed above Union Square) is stock footage from the early 1970s or perhaps earlier; at least one skyscraper completed by 1975 is missing (the One UN Plaza towers).
    • Quotes

      Dorothy Michaels: Thank you, Gordon. Well, I cannot tell you all how deeply moved I am. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be the object of so much genuine affection. It makes it all the more difficult for me to say what I'm now going to say. Yes. I do feel it's time to set the record straight. You see, I didn't come here just as an administrator, Dr. Brewster; I came to this hospital to settle an old score. Now you all know that my father was a brilliant man; he built this hospital. What you don't know is that to his family, he was an unmerciful tyrant - a absolute dodo bird. He drove my mother, his wife, to - to drink; in fact, she - uh, she she she went riding one time and lost all her teeth. The son Edward became a recluse, and the oldest daughter - the pretty one, the charming one - became pregnant when she was fifteen years old and was driven out of the house. In fact, she was so terrified that she would, uh, that, uh, that, that, that the baby daughter would bear the stigma of illegitimacy that she, she - she decided to change her name and she contracted a disfiguring disease... after moving to Tangiers, which is where she raised the, the, the little girl as her sister. But her one ambition in life - besides the child's happiness - was to become a nurse, so she returned to the States and joined the staff right here at Southwest General. Well, she worked here, she knew she had to speak out wherever she saw injustice and inhumanity. God save us, you do understand that, don't you, Dr. Brewster?

      John Van Horne: I never laid a hand on her.

      Dorothy Michaels: Yes, you did. And she was shunned by all you nurses, too... and by a, what do you call it, what do you call it, a - something like a pariah, to you doctors who found her idealistic and reckless. But she was deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply, deeply loved by her brother. It was this brother who, on the day of her death, swore to the good Lord above that he would follow in her footsteps, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, just, just, just, just, just, just, just, just, just, just owe it all up to her. But on her terms. As a woman. And just as proud to be a woman as she ever was. For I am not Emily Kimberly, the daughter of Dwayne and Alma Kimberly. No, I'm not. I'm Edward Kimberly, the recluse brother of my sister Anthea. Edward Kimberly, who has finally vindicated his sister's good name. I am Edward Kimberly. Edward Kimberly. And I'm not mentally ill, but proud, and lucky, and strong enough to be the woman that was the best part of my manhood. The best part of myself.

    • Crazy credits
      Dustin Hoffman is credited twice: Dustin Hoffman .... Michael Dorsey Dustin Hoffman .... Dorothy Michaels
    • Alternate versions
      Original UK release was cut by 6 seconds to obtain a "PG" classification. Subsequently passed uncut with a "15" certificate.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Tootsie/The Verdict/Sophies Choice/Airplane II (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Tootsie
      Lyrics by Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman

      Music by Dave Grusin

      Sung by Stephen Bishop

    User reviews265

    Review
    Top review
    One of the Greatest Comedies Ever Made
    Tootsie (1982)

    **** (out of 4)

    Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is an unemployed actor who is told by his agent (Sydney Pollack) that there's no one in the country that will hire him due to his attitude. Dorsey, seeing this as a challenge, decides to dress as a woman calling herself Dorothy Michaels and gets a job on a soap opera where he strikes up a relationship with one of the stars (Jessica Lange) on the show. As more and more pressure begins to mount, Michael must decide how to get out of the woman's outfit and reveal the truth.

    TOOTSIE is in my opinion one of the greatest comedies of the decade and I'd go even further and call it one of the greatest comedies ever made. There are so many wonderful things in the film and it works on so many levels that it's almost shocking when you look back at the film and see how wonderful it is. Not only does the "comedy" of a man dressing as a woman work but the film is more than just laughs as it hits on what it means to be an actor struggling to get work but there's also a lot of heart to the film and there's certainly many underline themes dealing with the differences between men and women.

    There are a lot of great things in this movie but there's no question that the true magic belongs to Hoffman who turns in one of his greatest performances. It's rather amazing to see him work here because he's basically got two different characters that share certain things but in the end they have to be separate characters. What impressed me the most was how believable he was as the female character. Not only does the supporting characters have to be able to believe he's a woman but the magic comes because when you see Hoffman as the woman, you believe it to. I think it's somewhat fitting that during the closing credits the character gets separate credits as does Hoffman. I think his performance as the woman is so great that many probably would believe that a real woman was playing her.

    The supporting cast is wonderful as well with Lange certainly deserving her Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She gives her character so much heart and pain that you can't help but root for her. Dabney Coleman and Charles Durning are both terrific in their roles as is Teri Garr who is downright hilarious as a somewhat psychotic friend. THen there's Pollack who is simply great as the agent. Bill Murray gives one of his greatest performances here because the story itself is quite out there yet his dry one-liners are just so hilarious that you can't help but have tears running down your face.

    Again, the film works perfectly as a comedy but it's so much more than that. The relationship between Dorothy and her co-worker is very believable and the various twists that happen in the plot seem real and they're never forced. The comedy comes in a very natural way and the realistic characters seem real and not something faked or made up. To me TOOTSIE is a flawless movie that manages to get funnier the more times you see it, which is something hard for a comedy to do.
    helpful•17
    2
    • Michael_Elliott
    • Apr 29, 2015

    FAQ3

    • Why won't anyone hire Michael? What's his agent trying to tell him?
    • What is Jeff talking about at Michael's birthday party?
    • The movie's title probably refers to Dorothy but where does it come from?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 1982 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Would I Lie to You?
    • Filming locations
      • Hurley, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Mirage Enterprises
      • Punch Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $21,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $177,200,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,540,470
      • Dec 19, 1982
    • Gross worldwide
      • $177,200,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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