Parents' Guide to

Rain Man

By Elliot Panek, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Drama about autistic savant has language, mature themes.

Movie R 1988 134 minutes
Rain Man Movie Poster: Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise walk down a road together

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Rain Man Movie: Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman lean toward each other, heads touching
  • Rain Man Movie: Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman wear matching gray suits and gamble at a casino

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Spencer H.
Spencer H. Adult
April 1, 2020
age 15+

Great message, great performances but not for younger kids unless you show them an edited version

This is a drama about Tom Cruise who is a self absorbed car dealer who learns to turn into a decent, selfless human being when he discovers he has a much older brother who is an autistic savant played by Dustin Hoffman. The acting is fantastic Hoffman definitely deserved his second Oscar for this, Cruise although maybe too young in reality to be Hoffman's brother (let's face it Hoffman is old enough to be Cruise's dad in real life), is equally excellent and the chemistry he has with Hoffman is among the finest in cinema history. That being said as other reviewers have pointed out the language is very strong. Cruise uses many f-words and while it helps us to understand his frustrations with Hoffman it is also excessive. There is a brief comic sex scene but both Cruise and his girlfriend are not shown having intercourse. They are hidden by a comforter and Hoffman walks in on them misunderstanding what they are up to. It is played strictly for laughs. Later Cruise's girlfriend is seen in the bathtub and a brief glimpse of her nipple may be visible. Were it not for the profanity and that one scene this film could easily qualify as a PG rated film but instead it is rated R for those reasons. Some of the scenes of Hoffman getting upset are intense, but it is to demonstrate what autistic savants can be like and it gives adults and kids a better understanding of who they are as people. This movie also glorifies Hoffman's characters abilities which is excellent and shows that people with his disability are extraordinary. It's a shame this movie is rated R because it really could be an excellent PG rated family friendly film but it does occasionally play on television and of course they have Clearplay machines which can edit out the strong language and sex and make the film on the PG level. Catch it on TV or watch it with a Clearplay if you have kids under 15 because the message in this movie about love and acceptance is fantastic. If your kids are 15 and up they should be able to handle this fine unedited. Its a movie with great messages for pre-teens and teens to learn. It's just a shame about the language and one sex scene.
Pres
Pres Adult
March 26, 2020
age 18+

Older teen

Mature theme Female breast nudity Sex scene
See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When greedy sports-car salesman Charlie Babbit's (Tom Cruise) father dies at the start of RAIN MAN, he leaves most of his fortune to his autistic, institutionalized son Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), the brother Charlie never knew he had. Charlie kidnaps Raymond, and they travel across the country in search of a new home, all while Charlie waits on the inheritance he feels entitled to. But things get complicated when he realizes that long-forgotten events from his childhood are locked inside Raymond's photographic memory.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (41 ):

This understated film rewards patient viewers with a memorable experience. Many movies with disabled characters exploit them for quick-fix audience sympathy, but Rain Man never indulges in this. Instead, we follow the ups and downs of Raymond's relationship with Charlie and with the world at large. Each success is followed by a setback, until we begin to question how we define "success." Charlie longs for Raymond to change but gradually changes the terms by which he loves him.

Rain Man made strides in autism awareness precisely by letting viewers know that it isn't people like Raymond who need to change -- it's neurotypical people who have the most work to do. In the end, we're left to wonder what really is best for Raymond. Even if the film's paternalistic approach and seeming endorsement of institutionalization no longer holds water today, Rain Man has secured its place in autism representation as one of the earlier films to approach the topic with any level of sensitivity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how autism is portrayed in Rain Man. How does Raymond's characterization compare to what you know about autism? In what ways does his character seem realistic, and what traits feel like they're made for Hollywood?

  • In the time since this movie was released, what has changed in society's understanding of autism? What about in society's approach to neurologically atypical people? If this movie were released today, how do you think it would be different?

  • How do the characters in Rain Man demonstrate compassion? Why is that an important character strength?

Movie Details

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