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Kramer vs. Kramer

1979 · Movie · PG · 105 min · ★ 7.6 · 84% critics

Drama

When a work-focused father is suddenly left to raise his young child alone, everyday routines become a crash course in responsibility and connection. As they slowly find their footing together, the family’s separation brings painful questions about love, fairness, and what it means to be a parent.

Based on Kramer vs. Kramer

Also known as Kramer, Kramer

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2 hours to watch.

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Details
Years
1979
Release date
1979-12-07
Language
English
Rated
PG
Runtime
105 min
Critic score
84/100
TMDB rating
7.6/10 (2,465 votes)
Box office
$106,000,000
Budget
$8,000,000
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an intimate, tearful family drama about parenting, divorce, and hard choices, with a mostly even-handed tone; Not for you if you dislike heavy emotional conflict or courtroom tension like in The Graduate.

Pros: deeply emotional drama; strong performances; thoughtful, even-handed approach | Cons: courtroom stretch feels long; one parent underexplored; ending feels too neat

Themes

  • husband wife relationship
  • marriage
  • custody battle
  • divorce
  • family
  • couple
  • selfishness
  • manhattan, new york city
  • child custody
  • abandonment
  • dramatic
  • parents separating
  • +1 more

Awards & recognition

  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 1980
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 1980
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 1980
  • Academy AwardBest Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1980
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actress · 1980
Show all 15 awards →
  • Silver nuggetthe best foreign film · 1980
  • National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actress · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Film Editing · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Cinematography · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 1980 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Writing, Adapted Screenplay · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Robert Benton