Kramer vs. Kramer

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Timing: 1:45 (105 min)

7.6/10
2132

7.986/10
56135

7.8/10
165000

All about film

Video 10

Photo 21

Actors and characters

Release date

1979-12-07

Country

United States

Production

Columbia Pictures

Genre

Drama

Budget

$8 000 000

Revenue

$106 260 000

Website

Director

Robert Benton

Actors

Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams, Bill Moor, Howland Chamberlain, Jack Ramage
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Stanley R. Jaffe

Operator

Néstor Almendros

Composer

Artist

Audition

Shirley Rich

Editing

Gerald B. Greenberg
All team (36)

• The film is based on Avery Corman's novel "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1977).
• The famous ice cream scene, where Billy pleads with his father to skip lunch and go straight to dessert, was entirely improvised by Dustin Hoffman and Justin Henry. Director Robert Benton liked the scene so much that he immediately decided to keep it in the film.
• Jane Fonda declined the role of Joanna Kramer.
• Dustin Hoffman suggested Joan Lunden play the role of Ted's one-night stand after seeing her on a live broadcast of "Eyewitness News" (WABC). Upon learning the role involved nude scenes, Lunden refused the part.
• James Caan turned down the role of Ted Kramer that was offered to him.
• Shortly before filming began, Dustin Hoffman himself went through a divorce. This is why he brought many personal aspects and dialogues into the film. Director Robert Benton even offered Hoffman to become a co-writer, but Dustin declined.
• Meryl Streep wrote the speech delivered by her character in court herself, against the advice of the film's director/screenwriter Robert Benton. She explained this by saying she was completely dissatisfied with the originally written version of the speech.
• Dustin Hoffman worked very closely with Justin Henry on every scene. They discussed them at length until Henry began to feel more relaxed and at ease.
• Robert Benton advised cinematographer Nestor Almendros to base the film's visuals and color palette on the paintings of Piero della Francesca. David Hockney's work also inspired Almendros to create a realistic look, for which he used light sources in rooms and any available light in exteriors.
• The first version of the film was 43 minutes longer than the final version and contained additional scenes with Jane Alexander, JoBeth Williams, and the landlord character, which was later removed.
• During the opening credits, Antonio Vivaldi's "Concerto for Mandolin" plays.
• The woman Hoffman unexpectedly kisses at the party is Ingeborg Sorenson, a former Miss Norway who also modeled for Playboy.
• Initially, Meryl Streep auditioned for the role of Ted's one-night stand, a role that eventually went to JoBeth Williams. When Kate Jackson declined the role of Joanna (due to a contract with the series "Charlie's Angels"), Streep was offered the part.
• The scene between Hoffman and Streep in the restaurant was filmed on location in one of New York's restaurants. A photograph from the film's shooting is still hanging on the wall of this restaurant, next to the table where the scene was filmed.
• Every time Billy (Justin Henry's character) cries, it's not acting, but genuine tears. Before filming each such scene, the director asked Justin to remember some sad event.
• The amusing scenes with JoBeth Williams nude were optically darkened to avoid an R rating. Nevertheless, the “undarkened” version is often broadcast on television channels.
• The film "Kramer vs. Kramer" reflected the cultural shift that occurred in public opinion in the 1970s (the period of the second wave of feminism in the United States), when the ideas of "fatherhood" and "motherhood" were reversed.
• The famous ice cream scene, where Billy pleads with his father to skip lunch and go straight to dessert, was completely improvised.
• Meryl Streep wrote the speech delivered by her character in court herself, as she was completely dissatisfied with the original version.
• Robert Benton advised cinematographer Nestor Almendros to base the film's color scheme on the paintings of Piero della Francesca.
• The film is based on Avery Corman's novel "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1977).
• The famous ice cream scene, where Billy pleads with his father to skip lunch and go straight to dessert, was entirely improvised.
• Meryl Streep wrote the speech delivered by her character in court herself, as she was completely dissatisfied with the original version.
• Robert Benton advised cinematographer Nestor Almendros to base the film's color palette on the paintings of Piero della Francesca.
• The woman Hoffman unexpectedly kisses at the party is Ingeborg Sørensen, a former Miss Norway who also appeared in Playboy.