(1979)
4
Derek Armstrong
Quite a portrait of modern family dysfunction, Robert Benton's adaptation of the Avery Corman novel hit a nerve with audiences for its frank take on a condition affecting them in increasing numbers: divorce. Nonetheless, it's an uneven film, not in terms of quality, but balance; the film truly belongs to Dustin Hoffman's Ted Kramer, whose travails take center stage as Meryl Streep's Joanna Kramer disappears for large portions of the film. Only a few instances of Ted's short temper fuel any sort of backlash against an otherwise endearing paternal figure, while the audience is given far less cause to sympathize with Joanna, whose reasons for leaving Ted (and more importantly, son Billy) are never explored. It's the strange transfigurations of Ted's life that make Kramer vs. Kramer such an interesting study, such as when a court-ordered deadline forces him into the office of an executive, in the waning hours before the Christmas holiday, to practically beg for a job for which he is overqualified. While there's no reason Ted's story alone should not be the focus, the film's title suggests a war waged with equal ammunition by two wronged parties, and Kramer vs. Kramer is not such a film. The dismissal of Streep's character makes the overly pat ending less forgivable as well. But the actors' note-perfect performances -- and the way the script lays bare the desperate machinations of an increasingly common and normalized legal process -- make this an enduring work.
awards for Kramer vs. Kramer on AllMovie
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|
Won |
Best Actor
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Adapted Screenplay
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
Best Cinematography
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Director
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
Best Editing
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Picture
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1979 |
Directors Guild of America
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
|
Nominated |
Best Director
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Picture - Drama
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Screenplay
|
1979 |
|
Nominated |
New Star of the Year - Male
|
1979 |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
|
Won |
Best Actor
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Director
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Picture
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Screenplay
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1979 |
National Board of Review
|
Nominated |
Best Picture
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1979 |
National Society of Film Critics
|
Won |
Best Actor
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Director
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1979 |
New York Film Critics Circle
|
Won |
Best Actor
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Picture
|
1979 |
|
Won |
Best Supporting Actress
|
1979 |
