Ben Kramer (Hoffman) thinks he has a well-adjusted life. Devoted to his work, Ben is at the top of his game at an ad agency in New York City. He thinks his home life with his wife Joanna (Streep) and son Billy (Justin Henry) is also great—until Joanna informs Ben that she’s leaving him and abandoning her son to go and “find herself.” Confused and hurt, Ben is now forced to live a new life as a single parent with difficult responsibilities. Though Ben is far from perfect, he attempts to find a successful balance between his professional life and his home life.
Through ups and downs, Ben and his son find that their new way of life is not easy. Soon Ben’s work suffers as he begins to devote more and more time to Billy’s upbringing. Finally thinking that he may be doing things right, Ben starts to get into the groove of single parenthood. This doesn’t last long, as after a year and a half Joanna returns home—and she wants custody of her son. However, Ben is not ready to give Billy up—at least not without a fight. –DVDVerdict
Talk about your abstinence promotion. Yeesh! Not sure of the film's greatness, but I'm pretty sure of its effectiveness. Could become a 4 starer for me in the future, who knows? For now though: 3.
The film’s premise might not sound like much but the 1970s had a knack for making films so authentic and gritty, turning even the simplest and basic of stories into a gripping experience. Think Love… read review
