The screenplay and direction are admirable in this film, but its level of greatness would be determined by the effectiveness of the performers at the center of it all. Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Justin Henry are all so convincing in their roles that they completely elevate the emotional impact it sneakily weaves on the viewer.

Hoffman in particular is flawless as a man suddenly left alone with his seven year-old son after his wife packs up and moves across the country. He is stunned when this happens, and realizes that he has been so wrapped up in his career that he has in turn been oblivious to her elevating depression. Streep plays the wife, who we see in the…

Director - Robert Benton
Writers - Robert Benton (Screenplay) and Avery Corman (Story)
Cast - Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams and Justin Henry

Trailer

Kramer vs. Kramer tells the distressing and often brutal story of divorced couple Ted (Hoffman) and Joanna (Streep) who find themselves embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their young son Billy (Henry). Walking out of the family home after eight years of marriage, and leaving her workaholic husband to raise their child alone, Joanna disappears for almost fifteen months, only to later return and demand custody of the child. During that fifteen month period, Ted and Billy have grown much closer than they once were and Ted has…

It's hard not to become engrossed in this family unit. The 3, especially the young Justin Henry, and the equally as praiseworthy Jane Alexander, all give brilliant performances.
Whilst the issues of shifting values, divorce law, parenthood and independence aren't tackled as much as they probably should have been, what's left is still a convincing performance-driven film. The actors are completely malleable to every word they say. We can see their change of direction and personality as they're speaking, giving the relationships an immersive sense of meaning.
Benton feels he's achieved something of intelligence here, because there's an annoying veil over every scene that screams "we're tackling issues". I'm happy though to ignore that veil, and perceive his screenplay as…

This film appears to be one of the more forgotten oscar winners in recent decades, and also is often referred to as an unjust winner in the wake of a greater films reputation.

However, this is a really powerful acting drama. Hoffman thoroughly deserves the oscar here. He really handles a lot of emotional scenes so well while playing off a kid for a lot of the film. While its just a single parent role, it's probably the most touching performance I have seen from Hoffman.

The other 3 here are awesome as well. Streep already has a facial canvas that tells a thousand words. She has the more difficult role, but despite being an antagonist of sorts, she still…

It's hard not to become engrossed in this family unit. The 3, especially the young Justin Henry, and the equally as praiseworthy Jane Alexander, all give brilliant performances.
Whilst the issues of shifting values, divorce law, parenthood and independence aren't tackled as much as they probably should have been, what's left is still a convincing performance-driven film. The actors are completely malleable to every word they say. We can see their change of direction and personality as they're speaking, giving the relationships an immersive sense of meaning.
Benton feels he's achieved something of intelligence here, because there's an annoying veil over every scene that screams "we're tackling issues". I'm happy though to ignore that veil, and perceive his screenplay as…

Director - Robert Benton
Writers - Robert Benton (Screenplay) and Avery Corman (Story)
Cast - Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams and Justin Henry

Trailer

Kramer vs. Kramer tells the distressing and often brutal story of divorced couple Ted (Hoffman) and Joanna (Streep) who find themselves embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their young son Billy (Henry). Walking out of the family home after eight years of marriage, and leaving her workaholic husband to raise their child alone, Joanna disappears for almost fifteen months, only to later return and demand custody of the child. During that fifteen month period, Ted and Billy have grown much closer than they once were and Ted has…