Kramer vs Kramer The film dominated the box office during the 1979 holiday season, grossing huge amounts, and was nominated for 7 Oscars and won 5 Academy Awards. Audiences loved the nuanced story of a divorcing couple fighting for custody of their children, as did critics like Siskel and Ebert. The pair called it “impressive” to be among the best films of the year, a crown that continues to evolve decades later with Citizen Kane and Casablanca.
However, in reviewing the film, Gene Siskel went into a tizzy because the film “sympathizes with men trying to be the primary breadwinner and father at the same time” rather than a “women’s liberation” film with male protagonists Look at it from a negative perspective.
Like all landmark legal cases, the verdict on how Joanna was treated Kramer vs Kramer Still open to interpretation. While Meryl Streep’s character won the lawsuit, she lost the battle of public opinion. Yet, 45 years after the film was first released, we can see that the fictional mother was seeking exactly what she wanted, thanks to the vision of a bold actress.
No opening or closing
Joanna appears in custody trial to gain custody of son
columbia pictures
Kramer vs Kramer At the time, “Divorce” was a risky movie, as movies about divorce were not common in 1979. new method. While the real world is changing, so is the world captured through widescreen cinematic lenses. However, progress is not always The story of the day.
By 1979, women’s rights had undergone dramatic changes. Sexual harassment was recognized as a legitimate issue by the justice system two years ago, and Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act 14 months before the film was released. Five years ago, women had the right to get credit cards that didn’t require a man’s signature. Even with these advances, women will eventually give up their careers and become housewives, and will be frowned upon if they don’t.
During this era, films with feminist ideas became more acceptable, but many were made by male directors who expressed their vision of who this modern “liberated woman” was. in the case of Kramer vs KramerProducers Richard Fishoff and Stanley Jaffe adapted the story from Avery Corman’s novel of the same name, which makes Joanna (a character later played by Meryl Streep) than The on-screen counterpart is more ruthless and flighty.
Corman believed that the feminist movement was “overzealous towards men” and decided to write a novel about an idealized father to combat “toxic rhetoric”. His goal is to “right the wrong” by fighting contemporary gender norms. His works include 1991’s prized possessionthe show looks at date rape on a college campus and ultimately lets the rapist off the hook because of his potential social status later in life. Koeman’s intention may be to selflessly offer both sides of the story, but his solutions to deeper issues often favor men.
what is Kramer vs Kramer about?
trailer Kramer vs Kramer
Frustrated by her monotonous life, unhappy wife and mother Joanna (Meryl Streep) informs her career-obsessed husband Ted (Dustin Hoffman) that she is leaving. Even more shocking was the fact that Joanna wouldn’t be bringing her pre-teen son with her. “He’s better off without me,” Joanna told Ted tearfully as the elevator doors effectively closed their relationship.
Over the next few months, Ted struggled to maintain a professional life while performing all the parental duties on his own, including those he neglected while Joanna was with him. More than a year later, Ted went from being clueless to being capable, discovering the meaning of being a parent and also knowing how much he loved his children. But it all came crashing down when Joanna came back and asked for sole custody.
The ex-partners fight in court to let the legal system decide the best option for raising their son. Unfortunately, the trial devolved into a vicious squabble, with their attorneys using every dirty trick in the book to prove who wasn’t the most suitable parent, but rather the worst person.
After the dust settled, the judge ruled that Joanna should keep Billy. However, in another shocking incident, Joanna relented after learning how much Ted had grown in her absence. Her realization that father and son should be together opened the door to a new cordial and platonic relationship with her ex-husband.
Investigating Joanna Kramer
Meryl Streep plays Joanna Kramer, a character more complex than the movie would have you believe
columbia pictures
There are significant differences between the movie and the novel, but none of them work in the mother’s favor.
Joanna is smart and beautiful (something Corman often describes in detail), but she comes off as selfish and abrasive. She discovered, to her shock, that motherhood did not fill her with joy, a feeling that worsened with each unfulfilled day of her life. Maybe she was jealous that her son had so much to discover growing up, while she was too busy caring for him to have time to learn about herself. After all, she gave up her career and became a housewife for Ted, who showed herself to be chaste, loyal, and brave.
What prompted Joanna to give up her marriage and her son? According to the book, tennis…and the need to find purpose. Throughout the story, she never stops loving her son, but hates that her world is defined only by parenthood rather than her own achievements. But Streep’s portrayal of Joanna suggests there’s more going on than meets the eye.
Joanna desperately needs the help and recognition she never receives from her husband, who is instead portrayed as the victim as she shoulderes the burden of being both housewife and income-generator. his Marital neglect. As Joanna explained on the witness stand, she did not want to abandon her son, but felt that her husband was cutting off her options and not allowing her to be “whole.”
Joanna is a woman struggling with depression, trapped in a marriage where she never feels seen or heard, and struggling to accept the cliche that “having it all” only means having what society thinks she should something to own. She felt intense scrutiny as she searched for a more three-dimensional version of herself. In fact, cross-examination accused her of having multiple lovers throughout her life and daring to undergo therapy to improve herself – something that was still taboo in the 1970s.
Meryl Streep fought tooth and nail to get the role and then worked even harder to recreate it, all while battling behind the scenes with her on-screen husband.
If I’m rough, they’ll be rough too
The shocking wine glass scene was improvised by Hoffman as one of the many ways the actor intimidated Streep and crew to get the best performance out of everyone
Streep wasn’t the first choice to play Joanna, but the 29-year-old actress wowed producers and directors with her performance. deer hunter The star read Corman’s novel and told producers she felt Joanna was “an ogre, a princess, a bastard”. Streep wanted to right an unfair wrong. Without Streep’s warmth and humanity, the character might have been a lot worse.
Hoffman, who was going through a divorce, knew that Streep had recently lost her first husband, John Cazale, to lung cancer. Hoffman used this grief to push Streep to her limits on set, including insulting her, slapping her (yes, really), shocking her with the infamous wine glass incident, and needle-sticking her recently deceased husband , to arouse greater emotional output. Years later, Streep would describe it as “transcendent.” Despite this, she persevered through the entire production and delivered an undeniable masterpiece, transforming Joanna from a cruel caricature of a selfish woman into a real and nuanced character.
Moviegoers came out in droves to see this unique film that overturned the likes of Aliens, Apocalypse Now, and Rocky II at the box office. However, feminists criticized it for heaping praise on a man who steps up to care for his children, when it is taken for granted when a woman does so. The sexism is obvious, but sadly it’s just an accepted sign of the times.
Kramer and feminism: what exactly is it?
A tearful reconciliation at the end Kramer vs Kramer
columbia pictures
When Streep won an Academy Award for her role as Joanna, it wasn’t for “Actress,” but for “Best Supporting Actress.” Even in the film’s opening credits, Dustin’s name leads the way, followed by the title, and then Streep’s. Speaking to the media after her achievement, she responded to criticism that the film could be seen as anti-feminist, saying: “I don’t think that’s true at all. I feel like the foundation of feminism is about liberation. man and Women break away from prescribed roles.
Streep’s response was illuminating in 1980 and remains so today.
Koeman may be interested Kramer vs Kramer To defend “men’s rights”, however, the author’s intention is not necessarily how a work of art is interpreted. Streep transcended the vilification of Joanna to find her soul, breaking through the anti-feminist material and reshaping it with her voice to create a meaningful three-dimensional character.
What begins as a biased book turns out to be something more complicated when it makes it to the big screen, unearthing feminist diamonds that would otherwise remain buried. Queen Meryl feels connected to this unheard cry for help and lifts her up to demonstrate the power of what happens when you listen to a woman’s voice.
Kramer vs Kramer Available to watch on Amazon, Apple TV and many other streaming or on-demand platforms.
