A journey through understanding and fellowship.|Dec. 11, 1988|United States|134 Min.|R
Genre: Drama
Description: Charlie Babbitt is involved in importing four gray market Lamborghinis to Los Angeles for resale. However, the EPA holds the cars at the port due to emission regulation failures, delaying delivery to buyers who have already made down payments. To manage the situation, Charlie instructs an employee to deceive the buyers while he stalls his creditor.
Upon learning of his estranged father’s death, Charlie and his girlfriend, Susanna, travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, to settle the estate. He discovers he will inherit the 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible he once fought over with his father, but the majority of the $3 million estate is allocated to an unnamed trustee. Charlie later finds out the money is directed to a mental institution, where he meets his older brother, Raymond Babbitt, whom he never knew existed.
Raymond is autistic, has savant syndrome, and adheres to strict routines. He possesses exceptional memory but shows limited emotional expression, except when distressed. Charlie takes Raymond out of the institution and checks into a hotel with him. Susanna, upset by Charlie’s treatment of his brother, leaves. Charlie attempts to negotiate with Raymond’s doctor, Dr. Gerald Bruner, offering to return Raymond in exchange for half the estate, but Bruner refuses. Determined to gain control of the money, Charlie decides to pursue custody of Raymond.
When Raymond refuses to fly back to Los Angeles, the brothers embark on a cross-country road trip. Their progress is slow due to Raymond’s insistence on maintaining his routines, which include watching *The People’s Court* daily and ensuring they stay off the interstate after witnessing a severe accident. During their journey, Charlie discovers more about Raymond’s abilities, including his extraordinary skill as a mental calculator, far exceeding typical human subitizing capabilities.
Cast director: Barry Levinson
Cast actor: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Jack Murdock, Michael D. Roberts, Ralph Seymour, Lucinda Jenney, Bonnie Hunt, Kim Robillard
Original name: Rain Man