1979 is another year that the Oscar haters point to as another example of how the Academy is so often "wrong". Winning Best Picture that year was "Kramer vs. Kramer", a drama that tackled the heavy issue of divorce and custody battles. Also nominated that year was "Apocalypse Now", heralded as a classic and one of the greatest films ever made. While I also share that viewpoint about the latter, upon viewing the Best Picture winner I must say that "Kramer vs. Kramer", in its own right, is a well-made and very good film. Was it the better film? I don't think so. Did it deserve its trophies? Perhaps. Let's take a look.
"Kramer vs. Kramer" focuses on a family in disarray. Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a workaholic. He has allowed his marriage to deteriorate because of his commitment to his job. Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) is his wife, dreaming of the freedom she had before marriage. Unable to be the stay-at-home mother any longer, she leaves Ted to take care of their 7 year old son Billy (Justin Henry). The father and son learn to adapt to their new situation and grow to love each other more than ever. However, Joanna comes back after 18 months and wants her son back. A custody battle ensues and Ted fights for the son he has come to love so much in the time since he became a single parent.
The acting is what carries the film, and the best acting job belongs to Dustin Hoffman. Far from his showiest role ("Midnight Cowboy" and "Rain Man" catch people's eyes a lot more), he becomes the Everyman whose life has been thrown in a completely different direction. He must learn to become a father to his son, and when Joanna comes back to claim Billy he must fight to keep everything he has gained. Hoffman is utterly convincing and sensational. We grow to love his character as he tries to do something he hasn't been: a real father. Streep is also excellent, but not on the level that Hoffman is. It doesn't help that she is absent for most of the movie, but when she is on screen there is no missing her. Jane Alexander as the family friend Margaret and especially Justin Henry as the son only add to the cast's wealth.
The screenplay, written by director Robert Benton, is excellent. Benton's direction is also top-notch. The topic at the time was far more controversial than it is now. Nonetheless, the film doesn't provide any answers, which in my opinion is the right was to present the issue. While the intent may have been to not pick sides for me it was far easier to root for Ted than for Joanna. This may be due to Hoffman's wonderful performance but it might have been better had the movie been a little more open.
While "Kramer vs. Kramer" may not be the most remembered film of 1979, it certainly was one of the best. Deserving of Best Picture? I believe so, just not against its competition. With Apocalypse Now" coming out that year I think they awarded the wrong film. But I'll leave that up to you to compare.
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