A heartbreaking study of divorce and custody, and what it could do to a family. Dustin Hoffman plays Ted Kramer, a graphic designer so wrapped up in his work he does not know his own son, Billy, until his wife, Joanna (Meryl Streep) leaves them. He learns to take care of him, but things go rough. Ted loses his job due to his family obligations. Then, Joanna re-enters the picture and sues for custody. Superb perfs all around, from the two leads and a great supporting cast (Jane Alexander, George Coe, and Howard Duff.)

What's ironic about this film is that I first saw it on a day my parents had a huge fight, and my mom took my sister and I to the movies. This was the movie we saw. A story about a bitter divorce, and a parent trying to raise his son alone while maintaining his professional life.

I did not read the novel (by Avery Corman) that this pic was based on. However, I heard that Ted Kramer loses a few jobs (not just one, as the movie has) due to his family obligations. I thank my lucky stars that I have a job that is flexible enough and has a lot of leave time available to deal with family obligations.

According to IMDB, Dustin Hoffman had gone through his own divorce, and contributed dialogue and situations to the film. He was offered a co-writer credit on the screenplay, but turned it down. More here.
I've been divorced since I wrote the first few boxes above. I didn't want it; my ex pushed for it, as she wasn't happy in the marriage. It's been three years now, and she still doesn't seem happy. But, making her happy (she never is) isn't my problem anymore. Our son (he's 16 now) is hurting, though. But, he elected to stay with his mother; he was adamant about that. So, I do what I can.

My condolaences Adam. Those thigns are never pretty and its always the kids that get hurt somehow. Hopefully your son understands someday.

Why isn't he happy, Adam? Does it have something to do with the divorce? Or the living arrangement?

Maybe a little bit of both. My son always seems to have this gigantic chip on his shoulder. Some say "it's teenage hormones" but I think it's more. (I also don't bad-mouth his mom in front of him, but after three years, his mom and I have reached a level of civility, where we can talk without screaming at each other.) He gets upset easily, and I don't talk about our divorce in front of him. Also, as a consequence of the divorce, he was plucked from the two-bedroom duplex house we lived in for 10 years (we had to sell, as ordered by the divorce decree) and moved into a one-bedroom apartment he shares with his mom (he has the bedroom.) He doesn't have that many friends, and also seems to singularly fix on one interest (when he was young, it was Thomas the Tank Engine, then Pokemon, now it's WWE wrestling.) On the bright side, he's doing better in school than he has in a while, and going to wrestling matches makes him happy. So I will never deny it to him.

Well that's good. He sounds like a lot of teenagers, including myself, in that he has strong interests that do not include lots of friends. As long as you make it clear to him that you're there to talk whenever he has something on his mind, I'm sure he'll get through it.

Pretty much gotta echo Luigi on the being there sentiment. Thats about all you can do. It does sound thouhg like he is kinda hiding/burying something but time will only be able to tell.
Good luck and hope fully thigns will work themselves out.

Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me.

No problem. What're friends for?

One of my nitpicks about this film concerns the scene where Ted and his son go shopping in a Manhattan supermarket. Ted, who works in advertising, seems unfamiliar with basic products, like brands of laundry detergent (Tide in this case) that people use every day. At least he eventually learns how to make french toast (something I still don't know how to do. )
Hoffman, in an interview included on the DVD, jokingly expresses regret at turning down screenplay credit. He laughs while saying something like "I could have had another Oscar..."