Rain Man

Synopsis

Charlie Babbitt is a self-centred Los Angeles-based automobile dealer and hustler, who is at war with his own life. Relationships are not Charlie’s strong suit and love is quite outside his experience. Raymond is the elder brother Charlie never knew he had - an autistic savant who has been hidden away in an institution for most of his adult life. Raymond is dysfunctional in many senses, but ­ as Charlie is soon to discover ­ also touched with a kind of stellar genius which Charlie harnesses to save his business. The two brothers embark on a rollercoaster journey together which shows Raymond a world beyond the hospital gates and Charlie the meaning of unconditional love

Our Review:

22 September 2008

Based on Barry Levinson's 1988 film, there’s no doubting Rain Man’s cinematic pedigree. Barry Morrow’s screenplay won one of four Oscars, while Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman gave highly memorable performances as two brothers embarking on life-changing journeys – Cruise delivering an incendiary portrayal of self-centered, money obsessed Charlie Babbitt; Hoffman scene-stealing as Raymond, the autistic savant brother Charlie never knew he had until their father dies, leaving Charlie a nothing but a rose bush and a vintage Buick and Raymond the family fortune.

Dan Gordon’s stage adaptation, skillfully directed by Terry Johnson on a series of sliding, sparsely furnished sets, teams Hollywood stage virgin Josh Harnett with vastly experienced British actor Adam Godley as the Babbitt boys and wisely steers clear of replicating the central road movie structure of the movie, in which Charlie kidnaps his institutionalised Raymond and whisks him off to Los Angeles...

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Latest User Review

Sycamore Flint - 2 December 2008:

The production felt drained of energy. The two lead performances are okay but everyone else had nothingy roles and couldn't do much with them. It seemed badly paced. I agree with the previous remark that the sense of redemption didn't come across very well. A few twittering girlies in the audience but then, West End audiences in general are rapidly becoming so ignorant and annoying it doesn't make much difference....

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