Rain Man(1988)- User Reviews

When Rain Man came out in 1988, I was in high school and had never heard of the disability of autism. It was because of this movie that I became aware of the devastating effects this disorder can have on the autistic person and family.

17 years later, my son was diagnosed with autism and the problems that were addressed in the movie became our reality. The more research that I do on autism the more I am amazed at Dustin Hoffman's performance in the film. The behaviors he displays in the film are the classic symptoms of autism; The lack of eye contact, the constant need for routine and direction, the lack of social interaction, constant fixation on counting and putting things in order and the list goes on and on.

I have read that it was Hoffman's decision to have Raymond be an autistic. As a parent of one, I deeply appreciate his desire to play an autistic and create awareness for a disorder that at that time doctors and the general population knew so little about. As of yet, I have not seen any other movie that comes close to being as good at portraying the struggles of an autistic and their family as this one does.

I also appreciate Cruise's performance. The extremely tough issue of who cares for an autistic after their parents die is a huge one and I think he was brilliant in showing the struggles of being a sibling with autism.