The film Rain Man was released to critical acclaim in 1988. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, it captured the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1988, and Best Actor honors for Hoffman. The movie is about two brothers who discover each other's existence after their father's death and their struggles to understand each other's very different worlds. As the story begins, the younger brother, Charlie Babbitt, is traveling with his girlfriend Susanna to a vacation in Palm Springs. Their trip is interrupted when Charlie receives a call from a business partner informing him that his father has died. The two of them immediately head out to Cincinnati, Ohio to settle his father's estate.
On the way to Cincinnati, Charlie reveals that he had …show more content…
Meyers and Dewall (2014) describe savant syndrome as "a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill such as in computation or drawing" (p. 237). Throughout the course of the movie, Raymond exhibits a number of exceptional skills. He is often seen sketching detailed, high-quality drawings in his notebook. He also demonstrates incredible memory abilities at various times in the film. One example was when Charlie was trying to book an airline flight for the two of them to return to Los Angeles. Raymond protested that flying is very dangerous, and recited the date, airline, and the number of casualties of every single airplane crash from the past ten years. On another occasion, Raymond becomes distressed because there were no books or bookshelves in the motel room. In frustration, Charlie tells Raymond to read the phonebook. Overnight Raymond memorizes every single name and phone number from A through G, and correctly recites a waitress's phone number the next morning when he reads her nametag at a restaurant. He can also recite every baseball roster and statistic in the modern day era, which comes up in the dialog at different times. Another exceptional skill Raymond demonstrates is a keen spatial acuity. When a waitress accidently spills a box of toothpicks Raymond looks at the toothpicks scattered in a …show more content…
However, he possesses a difficult personality and is extremely self-centered, egotistical, and a bit of a conman. He appears to live only for his immediate needs and gratification and places the welfare of others, including Raymond, after his own. Early on, these character flaws lead to a lack of understanding about his brother's condition. Thinking only of his selfish interests, he continues to feel frustrated with Raymond's actions, often wondering why Raymond can't "just act normal." At first, Charlie is simply fascinated and entertained by some of Raymond's special abilities. Eventually, he exploits his brother's incredible memory and calculation abilities by using him to count cards at the blackjack tables while they were in Las Vegas; the brothers walk away after winning more than
On the way to Cincinnati, Charlie reveals that he had …show more content…
Meyers and Dewall (2014) describe savant syndrome as "a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill such as in computation or drawing" (p. 237). Throughout the course of the movie, Raymond exhibits a number of exceptional skills. He is often seen sketching detailed, high-quality drawings in his notebook. He also demonstrates incredible memory abilities at various times in the film. One example was when Charlie was trying to book an airline flight for the two of them to return to Los Angeles. Raymond protested that flying is very dangerous, and recited the date, airline, and the number of casualties of every single airplane crash from the past ten years. On another occasion, Raymond becomes distressed because there were no books or bookshelves in the motel room. In frustration, Charlie tells Raymond to read the phonebook. Overnight Raymond memorizes every single name and phone number from A through G, and correctly recites a waitress's phone number the next morning when he reads her nametag at a restaurant. He can also recite every baseball roster and statistic in the modern day era, which comes up in the dialog at different times. Another exceptional skill Raymond demonstrates is a keen spatial acuity. When a waitress accidently spills a box of toothpicks Raymond looks at the toothpicks scattered in a …show more content…
However, he possesses a difficult personality and is extremely self-centered, egotistical, and a bit of a conman. He appears to live only for his immediate needs and gratification and places the welfare of others, including Raymond, after his own. Early on, these character flaws lead to a lack of understanding about his brother's condition. Thinking only of his selfish interests, he continues to feel frustrated with Raymond's actions, often wondering why Raymond can't "just act normal." At first, Charlie is simply fascinated and entertained by some of Raymond's special abilities. Eventually, he exploits his brother's incredible memory and calculation abilities by using him to count cards at the blackjack tables while they were in Las Vegas; the brothers walk away after winning more than