Kramer vs. Kramer takes what might be fodder for an exploitative television movie, and makes from it one of the better movies about family dynamics. It‘s a film of performances that makes us feel privy to personal intimacies. Careful direction keeps it narrowly focused on the relationships between a handful of characters, without becoming claustrophobic. It also paints a picture of the pain of marriage and divorce that has yet to be bettered.

　　 Synopsis:

　　 Workaholic ad man Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is shocked when his unhappy wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) simply leaves one night, giving little reason beyond the fact that ‘she can‘t live with him any more.‘ Faced with the problem of taking care of their five-year-old son Billy (Justin Henry) on his own, Ted must neglect his coveted new position at work, and soon is in danger of losing his job altogether. Adjusting to his new role of both mother and father, Ted seems to be handling things well. Then Joanna returns to get Billy back, a demand she‘s willing to take to court.

　　Avery Corman described his source novel as a chronicle of the selfish youth of the 60s running into the problems of divorce in the 70s. But the creative triumvirate of Jaffe, Benton and Hoffman pooled their painful divorce experiences to make Kramer vs. Kramer more personal in approach. The Kramers fall apart for the usual reasons - an unfulfilled wife, a husband whose life is centered on his work. Dustin Hoffman, originally not interested in the story, ended up playing the character while he himself was in the midst of a separation.

　　It is indeed a Hoffman show all the way, as Meryl Streep is physically absent most of the time, and little Justin Henry‘s performance is controlled under Hoffman‘s direction. As egotistical as Hoffman is, he‘s still something of a marvel to behold, retaining our sympathy when he‘s playing pigheaded, and earning our approval as he learns how to be a father. The set piece moments in this film are all the mor