Rain Man

Rain Man
Rain Man film poster
Directed by	Barry Levinson
Written by	Barry Morrow Ronald Bass
Produced by	Mark Johnson
Starring	Dustin Hoffman Tom Cruise Valeria Golino
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	December 12 1988 (USA premiere)
Running time	133 min.
Language	English

For the AOL publishing language, see RAINMAN.

Rain Man is an Academy Award-winning 1988 film which tells the story of an abrasive, selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his father has left all of his estate to an autistic savant brother, Raymond, whom Charlie never knew he had. The movie stars Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman as his brother Raymond, and Valeria Golino as Charlie's girlfriend, Susanna.

Plot

Template:Spoiler The film begins in the 1980s with Charlie Babbitt, who is in the middle of an expensive negotiation involving four luxury sports cars. The deal is being threatened by the EPA: if Charlie is unable to meet their requirements he will lose a huge amount of money. The success of the deal seems sure due to a quick bit of deception perpetrated by Charlie and one of his employees. Charlie then leaves for a weekend trip to Palm Springs with his girlfriend Susanna. Charlie's trip is spoiled by the sudden news that his father, Sanford Babbitt, has died. Upon learning of his father's death, Charlie travels to Cincinnati, Ohio to settle the estate, where he learns an undisclosed person (a trustee) is inheriting $3 million on behalf on an unnamed beneficiary, while he is to receive a Buick and several prize rose bushes. Eventually Charlie learns the money is being directed to a mental institution, and he goes there with his girlfriend, Susanna, to discover why.

In a conversation with Susanna upon arriving at his old home in Cincinnati, Charlie explains the significance of the car — a yellow 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible. In his teenage years, he was forbidden to drive it; at one point, Charlie brings home a report card "and for once, it's almost all A's," and asks his father if he can take the car for a spin with his buddies. Sanford Babbitt refuses, but Charlie takes his friends on a joyride anyway. Instead of telling the police that his son had taken the vehicle, his father had reported that it had been stolen. When they pulled over by police and arrested, Charlie's friends were quickly collected by their fathers, but Charlie's left him in jail for two days, leading to a lifetime of estrangement between the two. He is also haunted by the memories of the 'Rain Man,' a supposedly imaginary friend who disappeared suddenly in his youth.

While his girlfriend waits in the Buick, Charlie meets with Dr. Bruner, the head of the institution, who refuses to tell him anything. Charlie returns to his car and discovers a strange man sitting behind the wheel, talking to Susanna about how he used to drive the car during his father's visits. Charlie then demands an explanation, and finds out that the man is his brother, Raymond. Upon further questioning Dr. Bruner, Charlie learns that Raymond is autistic. He is also upset that Raymond, who is to receive the $3 million inheritance, does not understand the concept of money. The fact that Charlie's father kept Raymond's existence a secret infuriates him.

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Numbed by learning that he has a brother and determined to get what he believes is his fair share of the Babbitt estate, Charlie takes Raymond on what becomes a cross-country trip to meet with his attorneys and get custody of him. Early on, Raymond's mannerisms frustrate Charlie greatly, even leading him to conclude that his brother's "neurological disorder" is part of a scheme to keep him from getting the money to which he believes he is entitled. Raymond unwittingly causes the break-up of Charlie and Susanna, after he walks in on them having sex (Raymond had been memorising the contents of a telephone directory in another room of their hotel suite, and when he "heard noises", became curious at what they were doing and went to investigate). Charlie becomes very angry with his brother, although Susanna was more than willing to explain. She becomes disgusted with Charlie's verbal abuse and leaves.

Later, Charlie decides he and Raymond will fly to California, but Raymond balks. Citing media reports of catastrophic airline crashes, he fears that he, too, will be a passenger on such a flight: - this is an unrealistic portrayal of autism, as many autistics have an unusually low fear of physical danger. An increasingly frustrated Charlie is determined to get Raymond on an airplane and, after considering several airlines, Raymond suggests a "safe" one (Qantas), which he states as having never had a plane crash. However, Qantas flies to California out of Melbourne, which means that Raymond and Charlie cannot take that airline without flying to Australia. Losing his patience, Charlie tries to forcefully bring Raymond to the terminal for another airline. But as they approach it, Raymond begins to panic, creating a scene that is only resolved when Charlie promises they won't fly after all.

Thus begins the long road trip. At first, it progresses smoothly along an Interstate highway, but that changes when they come upon the scene of a fatal crash. Charlie is unable to convince Raymond that not all highways are dangerous, and he is forced to use two-lane highways for the remainder of the trip. The two spend the next day at a roadside motel because Raymond will not go outside when it rains.

During the trip, Raymond's routines bewilder the people he meets and often frustrate Charlie, whose mind is focused on money. Examples include:

• At a restaurant, a waitress (played by Bonnie Hunt) is slightly puzzled when Raymond says her name and home phone number. He had read and memorized up to the letter G — halfway through G — in the residential directory of a phone book the previous night. Charlie is able to convince the waitress that Raymond means well, and she seems slightly impressed. Later, the waitress drops a box of toothpicks, spilling its contents, prompting Raymond to instantly calculate the number of toothpicks on the floor (246). Charlie thinks his brother is wrong (since the box is a 250-count size), until the waitress says that four of the toothpicks remained in the box.

• Raymond constantly repeats the "Who's on First?" routine when Charlie is upset with him. This annoys Charlie, especially since Raymond does not understand the punchline and his repetition of it strips it of its comic meaning.

• Raymond shows echolalic tendencies when he does his impression of a line ("97X. BAM! The future of Rock 'n' Roll!"), said by a D.J., all morning, much to Charlie's annoyance.

• At a small town (filmed in Guthrie, Oklahoma) intersection controlled by a stoplight, Raymond stops in the middle of a crosswalk after the "Don't Walk" light begins flashing, causing traffic to back up and angering motorists. Charlie frantically guides Raymond across the sidewalk as one of them approaches Raymond in a threatening manner.

• As they are traveling down a rural road, Raymond reminds Charlie that The People's Court is about to start. With no towns in sight, Charlie is forced to ask a local resident to allow his brother to watch TV. He first poses as a representative from a television ratings firm to conduct a survey, but the cover is quickly blown as a very anxious Raymond begins peeking in the windows and worrying that he'll miss "Judge Wapner," forcing an embarrassed Charlie to explain the situation. After revealing "that man is my brother, and if he doesn't get to watch People's Court in two minutes, he's gonna throw a fit on your porch," the woman reluctantly relents and allows the brothers inside.

• Stopping at a motel for the night, Charlie hears Raymond muttering the phrase "funny rain man." Charlie realizes that, as a toddler, he tried to say 'Raymond' but it came out 'Rain Man,' to which he responds, "You're the Rain Man?" Raymond produces a photo of two-year-old Charlie and thirteen-year-old Raymond, revealing that he was Charlie's supposedly imaginary friend. As Charlie draws water for a bath, Raymond has a panic attack, screaming, "Hot water burn baby," suggesting that Raymond almost burned his infant brother in scalding water, and this is why he was sent to the Walbrook Institution, although it was more likely that the father found himself unable to look after Raymond following the death of the mother (Raymond mentioned that he was sent to Walbrook a few days after his mother's death).

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Eventually, Charlie's feelings of irritation for his brother begin to soften considerably. He feels a growing sense of responsibility to protect his brother from the cruel realities of the world. But his greed for money is still strong, and as their travels near Las Vegas, Charlie plans to exploit Raymond's quick memory and recall skills to help him win a fortune by gambling. However, Charlie makes no attempt to involve Raymond when the casino's security department questions him. After the two buy expensive suits and visit a hair-styling salon, Charlie and Raymond enter the casino to play blackjack. Raymond, oblivious to what Charlie is having him do, is able to guide his brother by "counting cards" (a strategy some gamblers use as part of their playing and betting strategy). Charlie wins nearly every time, and quickly amasses a fortune. However, Raymond is soon distracted by a spinning Wheel of Fortune and blows their cover. Per state rules, the casino managers require him to take his winnings and leave the state or face criminal charges, noting "those [would be] the best odds [Charlie] would see for a while".

Later, Raymond meets a prostitute who is sitting alone in a bar. With Charlie's encouragement, Raymond seems to be conversing normally with the prostitute, but he unwittingly scares her off when he asks her what prescription medicines she uses (Raymond often used it as a point of conversation to "break the ice"). Susanna and Charlie reunite in Las Vegas. Charlie teaches Raymond to dance and Susanna kisses Raymond in an elevator. When Raymond later shares his experience with Charlie, he remarks the kiss was "wet."

In the end, Charlie finally meets with two psychiatrists (minus the solicitors) to get custody of Raymond, although his desire for cash is a decidedly lesser issue at this point. Dr. Bruner offers him $250,000 to walk away, but Charlie does not care about the money, as he wants to take care of his brother. However, Raymond is unable to decide exactly what he wants; he wants Charlie to live with him at the institution in Cincinnati, which is not possible because of Charlie's job. Eventually, one of the psychiatrists presses Raymond for a decisive answer, upsetting him and leading Charlie to tell them to back off.

Eventually it is decided that Raymond will go back to Cincinnati, but he has noticeably progressed emotionally and while he still seems locked in his own little world, he displays affection towards Charlie by placing his head on Charlie's. Charlie, for his part, has gained a brother and mellowed considerably, telling Raymond that he will visit two weeks later. Template:Endspoiler

Production

The movie was written by Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow, and directed by Barry Levinson, and is partly based on the lifestyle and personal characteristics of developmentally disabled Kim Peek, of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Trivia

• Nick Mazzola, the blackjack dealer, appears in the movie Casino in a similar role, replacing Madeline Parquette, who plays the female employee insulted by Joe Pesci's character.

• While shooting, Hoffman, Cruise and some crew members doubted the film would be a success, jokingly dubbing the film "Two Schmucks and A Car".

• Dustin Hoffman was considered for the role of Charlie, who was written as an older man, but after reading about the life of Kim Peek, he convinced Levinson to let him play Raymond.

• Bill Murray auditioned for the role of Raymond, while Rob Lowe was considered at one point to play Charlie.

• The original ending had Raymond come to live with Charlie in California, and Charlie collects the three million dollar inheritance. Dustin Hoffman argued against this ending, saying that it wouldn't be true to Raymond's character and that it was "too unrealistic." After mulling the fact that it would be difficult for Raymond to adjust to California, which was demonstrated in one scene of the film, they went with the ending in the final cut.

• "97X - BAM! The Future of Rock 'n' Roll" - 97X was a real radio station in Oxford, Ohio, but oddly the signal did not come in on Cincinnati's Columbia Parkway, where the scene was filmed. In 2004, the broadcast signal was sold and the station the Babbitts were listening to made the switch to an internet-only radio station.

• Between takes at the casino, Dustin Hoffman always took off to play blackjack and roulette. Because of this, a crew member was forced to watch him at all times.

• St. Anne Convent, an abbey located in Melbourne, Kentucky, was used as the setting of the fictitious Wallbrook mental institution.

• In preparation for the role, Dustin Hoffman spent time with autistic patients in nursing homes, picking up their patterns, rituals, and behavioral traits. During filming, he and Tom Cruise rehearsed by swapping the roles and reading them aloud to each other.

• There is no K-Mart at 400 Oak Street in Cincinnati. The Forum Grill is located at 400 Oak Street.

Awards

It won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Dustin Hoffman), Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing, Original Screenplay. It was nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography (John Seale), Best Film Editing and Best Music, Original Score.

The Film also won the Golden Bear at the 1989 Berlin International Film Festival. As of 2006, Rain Man is the only film to have won both the Golden Bear and the Academy Award for Best Picture.

About Raymond

Raymond is a person who has certain abilities — such as computing large, complicated arithmetic problems — but he has few social skills and becomes upset when his normal daily routine is disrupted. This is because his routines and rituals are what keep him feeling safe. In the latter case, he often recites the classic Abbott and Costello comedy routine, "Who's on First?" to cope.

Other facts:

• When he likes someone, he asks them if they are "taking any prescription medication."
• His favorite place to shop is at a Kmart store at Oak and Burnet in Cincinnati.
• He eats Italian on Mondays.
• He eats pancakes on Tuesdays.
• He eats eight fish sticks on Wednesdays.
• He has memorized several plays written by William Shakespeare.
• His best friend is Vern, an aide employed at the institution, indicated by how he spells out his name ("V-E-R-N, my main man"), but in the film ending he does this with Charlie.
• When someone grabs him (either forcibly or gently), he will document the incident in a spiral notebook, often exaggerating the circumstances (e.g., "He severely injured my shoulder ...").
• At night, he places his large collection of pens and pencils in a glass on a nightstand.
• His bedtime is 11pm ("Lights out at 11.").
• When he eats his pancakes he likes the maple syrup to already be on the table

Many experts on the subject of autism have questioned the realism of "Rain Man". The main point raised is that nobody with an autistic spectrum disorder would display all the traits of the condition, as was the case with Raymond Babbitt.

In popular culture

Rain Man has been referenced on several episodes of The Simpsons, including:

• "$pringfield": The Las Vegas Blackjack table scene in the casino is spoofed. Homer gets a job as a Blackjack dealer at Mr. Burns' casino, and is impressed by the abilities of a player who resembles Raymond Babbitt; a Tom Cruise lookalike is seated next to him. "Raymond" tries to leave the table ("Gotta watch Wapner!"), and screams when Homer tries to restrain him. Homer imitates "Raymond," screaming and beating the palm of his hand against his head.

Rain Man was also referenced on an episode of Family Guy. When Peter learns that he is mentally retarded, an African-American man named Vern is assigned as his aide. Another episode has Tom Tucker purportedly interviewing Dustin Hoffman, however the footage shown is badly spliced clips of Dustin Hoffman taken from various movies. One clip shows a part of Rain Man, another from The Graduate, and the last from Hook. There is also one episode where Peter references the airport scene from the movie while talking to Luke Perry, who he confuses with Tom Cruise as playing the role of Charlie in the movie.

On "The Tick", Sewer Urchin talks exactly like Raymond Babbitt.

On "Animaniacs", the character Runt talks like Raymond.

In the Drawn Together episode "Ghostesses in the Slot Machine", Clara's mentally retarded cousin, Bleh, is shown to have the ability to count cards in a parody of Rain Man's casino scene.

In "I Can't Watch This", a spoof of MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" by Weird Al Yankovic, Yankovic claims that only "Rain Man [would] like this guy" in reference to Judge Wapner of The People's Court.

In Eminem's Encore album, there is a song called 'Rain Man', and in it, Eminem has forgotten his name and his new name is "Raymond" - it is said as Raymond says it in the film.

In the film Swingers, when the two main characters are dreaming of winning it big in Las Vegas, Trent (Vince Vaughn) yells out "They're gonna give Daddy the 'Rain Man' suite...", a reference to the impressive suite at Caesar's Palace featured in the movie.

In the film Miss Congeniality the character Cheryl Frasier, realizing she had given a dumb answer to the question "What would be your perfect date?", says, "I was like a female Rain Man."

In the Everybody Hates Chris episode "Everybody Hates Greg", the narrator talks about his father being "like Rain Man" when it came to guessing how much something cost as Chris' parents watch The Price is Right.

The film is mentioned in Politics, a 2005 stand-up tour and DVD by the British comedian Ricky Gervais, in which he quotes the lyrics of the 1989 song We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel, and quips they sound like the shopping list of Raymond.

Rain man is referred to in the movie I spy, when Owen Wilsons character is refered to as 'Rain man' by one of Eddie Murphys lackeys.

A toy robot with the name of "Ramone" speaks exactly like Raymond Babbit- same inflection and repetitive words.

In an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Billy's mother and father are watching "Everybody Loves Rainman," a play on the popular TV shows "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Slang uses

Although it has not entered the mainstream full-fledged, several slang uses of "Rain Man" have emerged since the release of the film:

• In one use, the term is applied to demean someone, usually after a faux pas. The person is not necessarily autistic but may be socially awkward, is "slow" (but not always mentally handicapped), lack accepted social graces...or they may be perfectly able.
• This term can also be used to accuse a person who does not suffer from a neurological disorder of being a social engineer (one who uses social skills to get his/her way or obtain information — often, computer security or credit card information — to which he/she is not entitled) and then getting his/her way. This refers to Raymond's behavior after something doesn't happen to his liking (e.g., nervously panicking when he almost doesn't get to see The People's Court), and Charlie and/or others resisting and then giving in.
• It can also be used as a term of endearment to describe someone who is extremely gifted in a certain specialized area, like Raymond was at arithmetic.

External links

• Rain Man at IMDb