Rain Man (1988) on Netflix
Charlie Babbitt, a Los Angeles collectibles dealer, learns his estranged father left the $3 million estate to a Cincinnati institution. There he meets Raymond, the elder brother he never knew.
- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb8.0/10590,032 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes88%
Trailer
Plot summary
Charlie Babbitt is a collectibles dealer in Los Angeles, importing four gray market Lamborghinis that the EPA holds at the port. His estranged father Sanford has died, so Charlie and his girlfriend Susanna travel to Cincinnati to settle the estate. Charlie inherits rosebushes and a 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible, while the $3 million goes to an unnamed trustee and is directed to a local mental institution. There Charlie meets Raymond, the elder brother he never knew, an autistic savant who follows strict routines.
Cast
- Dolan Doughertyas Farm House Kid
Show all 20 cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Rain Man (1988)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- In June 1989 at least fifteen major airlines showed edited versions of Rain Man that omitted the scene involving Raymond's refusal to fly, which mentions the crashes of American Airlines Flight 625, Delta Air Lines Flight 191 and Continental Airlines Flight 1713, except on Australia-based Qantas.
- Real-life brothers Dennis and Randy Quaid were considered for the roles of Raymond and Charlie, and agents at Creative Artists Agency sent the script to Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray, envisioning Murray in the title role and Hoffman in the role eventually portrayed by Tom Cruise.
- Hoffman met autistic savant Joseph Sullivan, the subject of two documentary films, and savant Kim Peek, observing and mimicking Peek's actions; he judged that mimicry a poor fit for the character and made Babbitt a man with autism as well as savant syndrome.
- After filming, Hoffman acquired the unmodified car, had it restored and kept it for 34 years; Hemmings Motor News reported that it was auctioned in January 2022 by Bonhams in Scottsdale, Arizona, and sold for $335,000.
- Almost all of the principal photography occurred during the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike; Bass delivered his last draft of the script only hours before it started and spent no time on set, leaving the film's final scene affected by the lack of writers.
- The film is credited with introducing Qantas's safety record to U.S. consumers, but contrary to the claims made in the film, Qantas aircraft have been involved in a number of fatal accidents since the airline's founding in 1920, none involving jets since December 1951.
- Spielberg was attached to the film for five months until he left to direct Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, a decision he would later regret.
