After his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Won 5 Oscars. Another 36 wins & 26 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Dustin Hoffman | ... |
Ted Kramer
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| Meryl Streep | ... |
Joanna Kramer
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| Jane Alexander | ... |
Margaret Phelps
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| Justin Henry | ... |
Billy Kramer
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| Howard Duff | ... |
John Shaunessy
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| George Coe | ... |
Jim O'Connor
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| JoBeth Williams | ... |
Phyllis Bernard
(as Jobeth Williams)
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Bill Moor | ... |
Gressen
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| Howland Chamberlain | ... |
Judge Atkins
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Jack Ramage | ... |
Spencer
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| Jess Osuna | ... |
Ackerman
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| Nicholas Hormann | ... |
Interviewer
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Ellen Parker | ... |
Teacher
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Shelby Brammer | ... |
Ted's Secretary
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Carol Nadell | ... |
Mrs. Kline
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Donald Gantry | ... |
Surgeon
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Judith Calder | ... |
Receptionist
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Peter Lownds | ... |
Norman
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Kathleen Keller | ... |
Waitress
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Ingeborg Sørensen | ... |
Woman at Christmas Party
(as Ingeborg Sorensen)
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| Iris Klein | ... |
Partygoer
(as Iris Alhanti)
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Richard Barris | ... |
Partygoer
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Evelyn Hope Bunn | ... |
Partygoer
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Joann Friedman | ... |
Partygoer
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Quentin J. Hruska | ... |
Partygoer
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| Joe Seneca | ... |
Partygoer
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Dan Tyra | ... |
Court Clerk
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David Golden | ... |
Grocer
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Petra King | ... |
Petie Phelps
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Marisa Morell | ... |
Kim Phelps
(as Melissa Morell)
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Frederick W. Hand | ... |
Street Musician
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Scott Kuney | ... |
Street Musician
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Sean Albertson | ... |
Boy in Hospital (uncredited)
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Matteo Cafiso | ... |
Schoolmate; Boy in Park (uncredited)
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Llewellyn Lafford | ... |
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
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| Marisa Petroro | ... |
Museum Attendee (uncredited)
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Conrad Pomerleau | ... |
Waiter (uncredited)
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Lori Randolph | ... |
Blonde Little Girl at park (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Robert Benton | ||
Written by
| Avery Corman | ... | (from the novel by) |
| Robert Benton | ... | (written for the screen by) |
| Meryl Streep | ... | (dialogue collaboration) (uncredited) |
| Jay Christian | ... | () (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Richard Fischoff | ... | associate producer (as Richard C. Fischoff) |
| Stanley R. Jaffe | ... | producer |
Cinematography by
| Néstor Almendros | ... | director of photography (as Nestor Almendros) |
Editing by
| Gerald B. Greenberg | ... | (as Jerry Greenberg) |
Editorial Department
| Ray Hubley | ... | apprentice editor |
| Bill Pankow | ... | assistant editor |
| Richard Garibaldi | ... | home video mastering colorist (uncredited) |
Casting By
| Shirley Rich | ||
Production Design by
| Paul Sylbert | ||
Set Decoration by
| Alan Hicks | ||
Costume Design by
| Ruth Morley | ||
Makeup Department
| Joseph Coscia | ... | hair stylist (as Joe Coscia) |
| Allen Weisinger | ... | makeup artist (as Alan Weisinger) |
| Craig Lyman | ... | assistant makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| David Golden | ... | production manager |
| Frank Price | ... | executive in charge of production (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Yudi Bennett | ... | second assistant director |
| Ira Halberstadt | ... | dga trainee |
| Thomas John Kane | ... | first assistant director |
| Lewis Gould | ... | dga trainee (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Merle Eckert | ... | construction coordinator |
| Edward Garzero | ... | scenic artist (as Ed Garzero) |
| Thomas Saccio | ... | property master (as Tom Saccio) |
| Lohr Wilson | ... | scenic artist |
| Philip Gips | ... | graphic designer (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Arthur Bloom | ... | boom (as Art Bloom) |
| Stan Bochner | ... | sound editor |
| Jack C. Jacobsen | ... | sound mixer (as Jack Jacobsen) |
| James Perdue | ... | recorder (as Jim Perdue) |
| Sanford Rackow | ... | supervising sound editor |
| Dick Vorisek | ... | re-recording supervisor: Trans Audio, Inc. |
| Katherine Wenning | ... | dubbing editor |
| Bob Olari | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
| William S. Scharf | ... | sound effects editor (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Holly Bower | ... | still photographer |
| Joseph F. Coffey | ... | associate director of photography (as Joe Coffey) |
| Jerry DeBlau | ... | best boy (as Jerry De Blau) |
| Bill Gerardo | ... | second assistant cameraman (as William Gerardo) |
| Vinnie Gerardo | ... | first assistant cameraman |
| Kenneth Goss | ... | key grip (as Ken Goss) |
| Tom Prate | ... | best boy grip-key grip additional filming |
| Tom Priestley Jr. | ... | camera operator |
| Frank Schulz | ... | gaffer (as Frank Schultz) |
| Robert M. Volpe | ... | dolly grip (as Bob Volpe) |
| Douglas C. Hart | ... | first assistant camera: "b" camera (uncredited) |
| Lance Shepherd | ... | electrician (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Al Craine | ... | costumer |
| Marilyn Putnam | ... | costumer |
Location Management
| Brooke Kennedy | ... | location coordinator |
| Noni Rock | ... | location coordinator |
Music Department
| Erma E. Levin | ... | music editor |
| Roy B. Yokelson | ... | music recording engineer (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Renata Stoia | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| Tom O'Brien | ... | teamster captain |
Additional Crew
| Marion Billings | ... | publicist |
| Stanley Bogest | ... | auditor (as Stan Bogest) |
| Ann Guerin | ... | unit publicist |
| Daniel J. Heffner | ... | production assistant (as Dan Heffner) |
| Pamela Ann Weisberger | ... | assistant to the producer |
| Henry Wolf | ... | titles designed by |
| Dianne E. Collins | ... | publicist: M/S Billings Publicity Ltd. (uncredited) |
| Davide Lepore | ... | Italian dubbing: Billy Kramer (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Columbia Pictures (presents)
- Stanley Jaffe Production
Distributors
- Columbia Pictures (1979) (United States) (theatrical)
- Columbia-EMI-Warner (1979) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Columbia Films of India (1980) (India) (theatrical)
- Columbia International Films (1980) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures (1980) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures of Argentina (1980) (Argentina) (theatrical) (through Warner-Columbia Films)
- Columbia-Fox (1980) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Columbia-Warner Filmes de Portugal (1980) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Fox Columbia Film Distributors (1980) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Hoyts Distribution (1980) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1980) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner-Columbia Film (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner-Columbia Films (1980) (Argentina) (theatrical) (through)
- Warner-Columbia Films (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment (1981) (United States) (VHS)
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (United States) (tv)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1985) (Canada) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1985) (United States) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1987) (United States) (VHS)
- TV3 (1989) (Finland) (tv)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Egmont Film (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (United States) (VHS)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (United States) (DVD)
- Egmont Entertainment (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
- Nordisk Film (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Nelonen (2005) (Finland) (tv)
- Cinema Club (2006) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Cinema Club (2006) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- LK-TEL (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Finland) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Argentina) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Sweden) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- Antenne 2 (A2) (1987) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Columbia Tristar Films Korea (2001) (South Korea) (DVD)
- ETV (Eesti Televisioon) (2019) (Estonia) (tv)
- HBO Max (2021) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
- Pluto TV (2021) (United States) (video)
- R-Video (1980) (Finland) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (West Germany) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (1980) (Australia) (VHS)
- TF1 (1991) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2019) (Australia) (DVD)
- VTC-Video (1980) (Finland) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Trans Audio (re-recording supervisor)
- Joy Todd Casting (extra casting)
- Camera Mart (stage facilities and production equipment by)
- Computer Opticals (titles by)
- The New York City Mayor's Office for Motion Picture Production (the producer wishes to thank)
- Davis & Long Company (thanks)
- Descriptive Video Works (descriptive video)
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (acknowledgement)
- Murray Weissman and Associates (marketing and promotion)
- Noenaim Films (archive)
- Panavision (camera equipment provided by)
- Polyphony Digital (thanks)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy. When he has learned to adjust his life to these new responsibilities, Joanna resurfaces and wants Billy back. Ted, however, refuses to give him up, so they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.
Written by Leon Wolters |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | There are three sides to this love story! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $8,000,000 (estimated) |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $14,658,467 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Dustin Hoffman planned the moment when he throws his wine glass against the wall during the restaurant scene with Meryl Streep. The only person he warned in advance was the cameraman, to make sure that it got in the shot. Streep's shocked reaction was real, but she stayed in character long enough for writer and director Robert Benton to yell cut. In the documentary on the DVD, she recalls yelling at Hoffman as soon as the shot was over for scaring her so badly. See more » |
| Goofs | The trees are green in scenes which supposedly take place in New York at Halloween and Christmas. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Take 2: Love Stories (1979). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Sonata for Trumpet and Strings: 2. Adagio 3. Presto See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The synthesizer fanfare by Suzanne Ciani usually heard over the Columbia Pictures logo was absent. Instead, for this film the whole logo sequence is silent. See more » |
| Quotes |
Billy Kramer:
Daddy? Ted Kramer: Yeah? Billy Kramer: I'm sorry. Ted Kramer: I'm sorry too. I want you to go to sleep because it's really late. Billy Kramer: Daddy? Ted Kramer: Now what is it? Billy Kramer: Are you going away? Ted Kramer: No. I'm staying here with you. You can't get rid of me that easy. Billy Kramer: That's why Mommy left, isn't it? Because I was bad? Ted Kramer: Is that what you think? No. That's not it, Billy. Your mom loves you very much... and the reason she left has nothing to do with you. I don't know if this will make sense, but I'll try to explain it to you. I think the reason why Mommy left... was because for a long time... I kept trying to make her be a certain kind of person. A certain kind of wife that I thought she was supposed to be. And she just wasn't like that. She was... She just wasn't like that. I think that she tried for so long to make me happy... and when she couldn't, she tried to talk to me about it. But I wasn't listening. I was too busy, too wrapped up... just thinking about myself. And I thought that anytime I was happy, she was happy. But I think underneath she was very sad. Mommy stayed here longer than she wanted because she loves you so much. And the reason why Mommy couldn't stay anymore... was because she couldn't stand me. She didn't leave because of you. She left because of me. Go to sleep now because it's really late, okay? Good night. Sleep tight. Billy Kramer: Don't let the bedbugs bite. Ted Kramer: See you in the morning light. Billy Kramer: Daddy? Ted Kramer: Yeah? Billy Kramer: I love you. Ted Kramer: I love you too. See more » |