Kramer vs Kramer is one of my all-time favourite films. Had I studied Family Law, perhaps the unrealistic court scene would bother me, but if I had been a Cold War spy I would pick apart every James Bond film I loved growing up too…
In legal circles, experts have agreed that this film created a ‘seachange’ in Family Law, with countless men beginning to question the custody they had stripped from them. The presumption that the mother was always the best was not necessarily true in the judge’s eyes, but it clearly affected how hard fathers fought to keep custody of their kids. Therefore, the legal inconsistencies could certainly be viewed more as indicative of the feelings of single fathers, than as strict historical fact.
All this aside, the writing is wonderful, the performances are fresh and honest – the ice-cream scene is an absolute classic. Ted’s relationship with Margaret is very true to life and beautifully pitched, and the court case’s conclusion, borrowed from Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, is is a surprising and welcome conclusion to a beautiful and big-hearted film.
by Paul Barry
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