Rain Man 1988

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune: It's an honorable effort, touched by a certain lightness and grace. Read more

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: The strength of the film is really that of Cruise's performance, his finest since Risky Business. Read more

Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times: What no one can argue is that Rain Man is Cruise's quantum leap, so that it can be said unblushingly that he holds his own with the masterly Hoffman. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: A fascinating, often very moving, frequently funny film. Read more

Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer: Everything about the acting and direction of Rain Man is so exquisitely calibrated and so right that it's all too easy to forget how much could have gone wrong. Read more

Vincent Canby, New York Times: Its end effect depends largely on one's susceptibility to the sight of an actor acting nonstop and extremely well, but to no particularly urgent dramatic purpose. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Valeria Golino is appealing as Cruise's girlfriend; Hoffman makes his character pretty believable without milking the part for pathos and tears, and it's nice to see Cruise working for a change in a context that isn't determined by hard sell and hype. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Rain Man is so fascinating because it refuses to supply those questions with sentimental but unrealistic answers. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: Rain Man's restraint is, finally, rather like Raymond's gabble. It discourages connections, keeping you out instead of drawing you in. Read more

Brian Case, Time Out: There is no story, no motor, and given the nature of the premise, nothing much can happen. Read more

Amy Dawes, Variety: One of the year's most intriguing film premises is given uneven, slightly off-target treatment in UA's Rain Man. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: Neither Levinson nor Hoffman was able to penetrate the mystery of their subject. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Rain Man is far from a washout but you can't help feeling all those missed opportunities raining down on you. Read more