---
title: "Rain Man"
year: 1988
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/rain-man"
fi1m_id: "rain-man"
imdb_id: "tt0095953"
tmdb_id: 380
wikidata_id: "Q188845"
fi1m_score: 76
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:36.497758+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rain Man (1988)

Directed by Barry Levinson · 2h 14m · MPA R · Drama

## Identity

Rain Man

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/rain-man
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** rain-man
- **IMDb ID:** tt0095953
- **TMDB ID:** 380
- **Wikidata ID:** Q188845
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/380, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188845

**Fi1m score: 76** · Critics 70 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* Tom Cruise is excellent company as a man we would hate to share a car with

> Barry Levinson’s *Rain Man* is a moving road drama that sometimes repeats itself and makes Raymond’s autism too useful to Charlie. Tom Cruise does much of the difficult emotional work opposite Dustin Hoffman’s carefully controlled performance.

## Synopsis

Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is a hustler whose relationship with his brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) brings money and family into conflict. Raymond is autistic and has savant abilities. As the brothers travel together, Charlie’s selfishness meets needs and behaviour he struggles to understand. Their journey puts two different ways of dealing with other people in close quarters, with Charlie trying to get his own way while Raymond remains difficult for him to reach. Barry Levinson directs the drama, with Valeria Golino as Susanna and Gerald R. Molen as Dr. Bruner.

## Review

Barry Levinson’s *Rain Man* is worth seeing for its two leads, even when the journey begins to repeat itself. It puts a hustler, Charlie Babbitt, on the road with his autistic brother Raymond and asks Charlie to take another person’s needs seriously. There is enough comedy in their incompatibility to make the familiar lesson tolerable. The trouble is how often we can see that lesson coming.

Dustin Hoffman plays Raymond with a concentration that makes Charlie’s demands seem especially intrusive. He is often funny without making Raymond seem to be performing for anybody else’s amusement. His precision can also become a distraction: after a while, the consistency of the performance tells us little more about the man. That is partly a limitation of Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow’s screenplay, which gives Charlie the clearer emotional development. Raymond remains harder to know.

Tom Cruise has the less conspicuous acting to do, and gives the film its strongest reason to continue. His Charlie begins with a hustler’s selfishness that Cruise does not hurry to soften. We winced at his impatience with Raymond; it is unpleasantly easy to recognise the wish that someone else’s difficulties would stop being inconvenient. Cruise makes that ugliness hard to dismiss as somebody else’s problem. The possibility of affection becomes moving because he has first made Charlie such poor company.

Levinson is good at letting an encounter last long enough for us to revise our first impression of it. John Seale’s cinematography is most effective when it gives the actors room to establish that awkwardness, without making their surroundings the attraction. Ida Random’s production design helps the journey feel inhabited and ordinary, which matters in a story so vulnerable to becoming a demonstration of goodness. That modesty suits Levinson’s interest in behaviour and leaves us free to notice how uncomfortable these men are together.

Stu Linder’s editing is patient with the actors, sometimes past the point at which a scene has told us enough. At 134 minutes, the film allows the repeated clash between Charlie’s impatience and Raymond’s needs to become too predictable. Hans Zimmer’s score also presses for tenderness where the acting has already made a more complicated feeling possible. There are stretches when the film seems reluctant to leave a point alone.

The larger reservation belongs to the writing. Bass and Morrow draw on a dependable road-drama arrangement: put mismatched people together and let familiarity do its work. Here that can make Raymond’s autism seem useful chiefly because it offers Charlie a chance to become kinder. Hoffman gives Raymond enough stubborn independence to complicate that arrangement, but the imbalance remains. We can care about these brothers and still wish Raymond’s own experience interested the film as much as Charlie’s capacity to change.

Approach it as a drama about two particular brothers; its narrow view of autism needs that caution. There is pleasure in watching Cruise make decency look like something Charlie must practise, with no guarantee that we will like him for it. For viewers who can tolerate some repetition, the performances are worth the journey.

*Fi1m score 76, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Rain Man, with praise centred on Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Hoffman’s carefully observed performance draws admiration for its humour and restraint, while Cruise receives credit for giving the more emotionally changeable brother a convincing development. The favourable reviews find an affecting story of family and self-discovery, with Barry Levinson’s attention to human behaviour helping the relationship feel persuasive rather than merely sentimental.

The spread is wide, however, and the performances themselves divide opinion. Time Out finds the story thin and short on dramatic momentum, though Levinson keeps it watchable. Eye for Film questions the length and the softened portrayal of disability. The New Yorker supplies the strongest dissent, judging Hoffman’s performance external and repetitive, and Levinson’s direction slack. The central disagreement is over how convincingly the film earns its emotion: what admirers find restrained and moving, detractors find sentimental and laboured.

## Straight answers

**Is Rain Man worth watching?**

*Rain Man* is worth watching for its two lead performances, and we scored it 76. Tom Cruise does the harder, less showy work as Charlie, a hustler whose impatience with his autistic brother Raymond is unpleasantly easy to recognise, and Dustin Hoffman plays Raymond with steady precision. The road trip repeats itself, and the film is more interested in Charlie changing than in Raymond, so approach it as a drama about two brothers rather than a study of autism.

**How long is Rain Man, and what is it rated?**

*Rain Man* runs 2h 14m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Rain Man in the US?**

*Rain Man* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, The Roku Channel and Hulu in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves Hulu on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Rain Man, and is it suitable for children?**

*Rain Man* is a 15 in the UK and R-rated in the US, and it is neither violent nor frightening; the certificate reflects adult language and themes rather than anything alarming on screen. It is a talky drama about a selfish man learning to consider his brother, with comedy in their incompatibility. Younger children would find little to hold them, but older teenagers should be fine.

**What should I watch after Rain Man?**

After *Rain Man*, try [*The Straight Story*](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story) (1999, Fi1m 88): Another patient journey towards family, with less pressure to explain its traveller. Then [*Central Station*](https://film.one/film/central-station) (1998, Fi1m 85): Two reluctant companions discover affection on a journey that earns its sentiment; and [*Wild Strawberries*](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries) (1957, Fi1m 88): A road journey makes an unapproachable man reconsider the life around him.

### Reviews we read (7)

- **Radio Times**, Andrew Collins (5/5): Hoffman's savant is one of cinema's great triumphs: believable, unsentimental and often hilarious, while Cruise's character undergoes the greater emotional arc from selfishness to love. Levinson directs beautifully and the film earned major Oscars. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-zm81ae/rain-man/)
- **Empire**, Emma Cochrane (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a thoughtful and hugely enjoyable classic that changed perceptions of autism. They single out the signature performances by Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rain-man-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Sheila Benson (85/100, inferred): Benson praises the film’s deliberately unsentimental interior journey of self-discovery and the hypnotic, funny performance by Hoffman. She singles out Cruise’s surprisingly mature and authoritative work as the film’s welcome surprise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-16-ca-35-story.html)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (80/100, inferred): Canby finds the film an affecting odd-couple road movie in which a hustler and his autistic brother learn they are good for each other. He singles out Dustin Hoffman’s meticulously researched, star-turn performance as the autistic savant Raymond. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/16/movies/review-film-brotherly-love-of-sorts.html)
- **Time Out**, BC (60/100, inferred): The critic notes the film's thin story and limited dramatic motor but credits Levinson's skill at observing human behaviour for keeping it watchable. Hoffman delivers a self-contained performance while Cruise improves as the hustler brother. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/rain-man)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (25/100, inferred): Kael dismisses the film as a repetitive one-note acting exercise and sentimental kitsch. She singles out Hoffman’s locked-in, external performance and Levinson’s flaccid direction for particular complaint. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1989/02/06/stunt)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (50/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a simple story about two brothers that is neither great nor terrible, but long. He notes Hoffman's performance as an autistic savant raises concerns about portraying disability in a softened, sentimental light while focusing on themes of money and family. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/rain-man-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Barry Levinson
- **Director:** Barry Levinson
- **Screenplay:** Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow
- **Story:** Barry Morrow
- **Cinematography:** John Seale
- **Editor:** Stu Linder
- **Music:** Hans Zimmer
- **Production design:** Ida Random
- **Costume design:** Bernie Pollack
- **Producer:** Mark Johnson
- **Cast:** Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt; Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt; Valeria Golino as Susanna; Gerald R. Molen as Dr. Bruner; Jack Murdock as John Mooney; Michael D. Roberts as Vern; Ralph Seymour as Lenny; Lucinda Jenney as Iris
- **Runtime:** 2h 14m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 16 December 1988
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1988); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1988); [Golden Bear winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-bear.md) (Winner, 1989)
- **Budget:** $25 million
- **Box office:** $355 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwmctS4nldM

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming
- HBO Max: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Hulu: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1989: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Actor (won); Best Director (won); Best Picture (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won)
- Berlin International Film Festival 1989: Golden Bear (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Straight Story* (1999), Fi1m 88: Another patient journey towards family, with less pressure to explain its traveller. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md)
- *Central Station* (1998), Fi1m 85: Two reluctant companions discover affection on a journey that earns its sentiment. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/central-station.md)
- *Wild Strawberries* (1957), Fi1m 88: A road journey makes an unapproachable man reconsider the life around him. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries.md)
- *The Savages* (2007): Sibling friction and difficult care, with humour that allows both people their faults.
- *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: Family obligations expose selfishness without making anyone’s choices conveniently simple. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/rain-man