Kramer vs.

Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 American drama lm
adapted by Robert Benton from the novel by Avery Corman, and directed by Benton. The lm tells the story of
a married couples divorce and its impact on everyone
involved, including the couples young son. It received
ve Academy Awards at the 52nd Academy Awards in
1980, in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director,
Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

the resulting trial. Ted cannot bear the thought of submitting his child to such an ordeal, and decides not to contest
custody.
On the morning that Billy is to move in with Joanna, Ted
and Billy make breakfast together, mirroring the meal
that Ted tried to cook the rst morning after Joanna left.
They share a tender hug, knowing that this is their last
daily breakfast together. Joanna calls on the intercom,
asking Ted to come down to the lobby. She tells Ted how
much she loves and wants Billy, but she knows that his
true home is with Ted, and therefore will not take custody of him. She asks Ted if she can see Billy, and Ted
says that that would be OK. As they are about to enter
the elevator together, Ted tells Joanna that he will stay
downstairs to allow Joanna to see Billy in private. After she enters the elevator, Joanna wipes tears from her
face and asks her former husband How do I look?" As
the elevator doors start to close on Joanna, Ted answers,
Terric, and the movie ends.

Plot

Ted Kramer (Dustin Homan) is a workaholic

advertising executive who has just been assigned a
new and very important account. Ted arrives home
and shares the good news with his wife Joanna (Meryl
Streep) only to nd that she is leaving him. Saying that
she needs to nd herself, she leaves Ted to raise their son
Billy (Justin Henry) by himself. Ted and Billy initially
resent one another as Ted no longer has time to carry his
increased workload and Billy misses his mothers love
and attention. After months of unrest, Ted and Billy
learn to cope and gradually bond as father and son.

2 Cast
Dustin Homan as Ted Kramer
Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer

Ted befriends his neighbor Margaret (Jane Alexander),

who had initially counseled Joanna to leave Ted if she
was that unhappy. Margaret is a fellow single parent, and
she and Ted become kindred spirits. One day, as the two
sit in the park watching their children play, Billy falls o
the jungle gym, severely cutting his face. Ted sprints several blocks through oncoming trac carrying Billy to the
hospital, where he comforts his son during treatment.

Justin Henry as Billy Kramer

Jane Alexander as Margaret Phelps
Petra King as Petie Phelps
Melissa Morell as Kim Phelps

Howard Du as John Shaunessy

Fifteen months after she walked out, Joanna returns to
New York to claim Billy, and a custody battle ensues.
George Coe as Jim O'Connor
During the custody hearing, both Ted and Joanna are un JoBeth Williams as Phyllis Bernard
prepared for the brutal character assassinations that their
lawyers unleash on the other. Margaret is forced to tes Howland Chamberlain as Judge Atkins
tify that she had advised an unhappy Joanna to leave Ted,
Dan Tyra as Court Clerk
though she also attempts to tell Joanna on the stand that
her husband has profoundly changed. Eventually, the
damaging facts that Ted was red because of his conicting parental responsibilities which forced him to take a 3 Production
lower-paying job come out in court, as do the details of
Billys accident.
Kate Jackson was originally oered the role played by
The court awards custody to Joanna, a decision mostly Meryl Streep but was forced to turn it down. At the time,
based on the assumption that a child is best raised by his Jackson was appearing in the TV series Charlies Angels,
mother. Ted discusses appealing the case, but his lawyer and producer Aaron Spelling told her that they were unwarns that Billy himself would have to take the stand in able to rearrange the shooting schedule to give her time
1

11

EXTERNAL LINKS

o to do the lm.[3] At the time, Streep was cast as Phyl- American Film Institute Lists
lis (the one-night stand Ted has); this role was eventually given to JoBeth Williams when Streep was cast as
AFIs 100 Years...100 Movies - Nominated[7]
Joanna. The producers initially asked Franois Truaut
AFIs 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary
to direct; in fact, cinematographer Nstor Almendros,
Edition) - Nominated[8]
a collaborator on numerous Truaut lms, had already
been hired with the expectation that Truaut would helm
AFIs 10 Top 10 - #3 Courtroom Drama
the lm. Truaut seriously considered it, but in the end,
too busy with his own projects, turned it down and suggested screenwriter Robert Benton direct it himself.

8 Adaptation

Reception

The lm received positive reviews from critics. It holds an

88% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.9/10. The consensus
reads: The divorce subject isn't as shocking, but the lm
is still a thoughtful, well-acted drama that resists the urge
to take sides or give easy answers.[4] Roger Ebert of the
Chicago Sun-Times gave the lm four stars, giving praise
to Bentons screenplay: His characters aren't just talking
to each other, they're revealing things about themselves
and can sometimes be seen in the act of learning about
their own motives. Thats what makes Kramer vs. Kramer
such a touching lm: We get the feeling at times that personalities are changing and decisions are being made even
as we watch them.[5]

In 1995, Kramer vs. Kramer was remade in India as

Akele Hum Akele Tum, starring Aamir Khan and Manisha
Koirala.

9 See also
"Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo"
Trial lm

10 References
[1] Oscarblogger: Kramer vs. Kramer. Retrieved April 1,
2013
[2] Kramer vs Kramer (1979)". Box Oce Mojo. Retrieved
2008-11-17.

Cultural impact

Kramer vs. Kramer reected a cultural shift which occurred during the 1970s, when ideas about motherhood
and fatherhood were changing. The lm was widely
praised for the way in which it gave equal weight and importance to both Joanna and Teds points of view.[6]
At the time of release, the court default standard was
to lean heavily toward the mother in custody suits. The
movies social impact was to challenge this and start conversations on this. Court standards have since changed,
and fathers are not automatically considered lesser options for being awarded custody.

Cultural References

[3] Spelling, Aaron; Graham, Jeerson (1996). A PrimeTime Life: An Autobiography. New York: St. Martins
Press. p. 112. ISBN 0-312-14268-4.
[4] Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)". Retrieved April 29, 2010.
[5] Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
[6] Kramer vs. Kramer. Chicago Sun-Times.
[7] AFIs 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees
[8] AFIs 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)
Ballot

11 External links
Kramer vs. Kramer at the Internet Movie Database

Mad Magazine satirized the lm as Crymore vs. Crymore.

Kramer vs. Kramer at AllMovie

Kramer vs. Kramer at the TCM Movie Database

Awards and nominations

The lm won 5 Oscars, another 31 wins and 15 nominations.

Kramer vs. Kramer at Rotten Tomatoes

12
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Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Kramer vs. Kramer Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramer_vs._Kramer?oldid=673755760 Contributors: Koyaanis Qatsi, Deb,

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