Kramer vs. Kramer

1979 film by Robert Benton

AI overview

"Kramer vs. Kramer" is a 1979 film directed by Robert Benton about a custody battle between a divorcing couple. The film became culturally significant for its realistic portrayal of divorce and parenting during a period when such family dynamics were less commonly explored in mainstream cinema.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Film · TMDB

7.6

Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.

Released: 1979-12-07105 minDir: Robert BentonDramaBudget: $8.0MBox office: $106M

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Cast

Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer
Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer
Jane Alexander as Margaret Phelps
Justin Henry as Billy Kramer
Howard Duff as John Shaunessy
George Coe as Jim O'Connor

Themes

husband wife relationship
marriage
custody battle
divorce
family
couple
selfishness
manhattan, new york city
child custody
abandonment

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Ratings

IMDb

7.8/10

166,700 votes

Year: 1979
Runtime: 105 min
Genres: Drama

via IMDb

Wikidata facts

Duration: 100
FilmAffinity ID: 257947

Show 5 more facts

publication date: 1979-12-19
title: Kramer vs. Kramer
box office: 106000000
review score: 7.8/10
capital cost: 8000000

Sources (15)

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~16 min read

Article

Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 American legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry and Jane Alexander. It tells the story of a couple's divorce, its effect on their young son, and the subsequent evolution of their relationship and views on parenting. Kramer vs. Kramer explores the psychology and fallout of divorce, and touches on emerging and prevailing social issues such as gender roles, fathers' rights, work-life balance, and single parents.

Kramer vs. Kramer was theatrically released December 19, 1979, by Columbia Pictures. The film emerged as a major commercial success at the box office, grossing more than $173 million on an $8 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1979 in the United States and Canada. It received widespread critical acclaim upon release, with high praise for its direction, story, screenplay and performances of the cast, with major praise directed towards Hoffman and Streep's performances.