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Sometimes when work is a little slow, I'll watch a movie or two using the instant viewing feature on Netflix while I go through the work motions. I don't think I can give as good a review for movies that I do this with, so I usually watch movies that seem like they'll be easy to follow. I definitely chose right this time. Kramer vs. Kramer is the simple story of a man (Dustin Hoffman) who has to change his ways and become an attentive dad when his wife (Meryl Streep) suddenly leaves him and leaves their son with him as well. Ted faces a lot of trouble when his fathering interferes with his career, and fathering is a big challenge for him since his wife had always taken care of their son. But just as soon as he gets the hang of things, his wife comes back and takes him to court for custody of the kid.

I had avoided watching this movie for a long time because the title sounded more like it was a serious courtroom drama of two parents battling it out for their kid. Instead, the custody battle doesn't take place until about the last third of the movie. The focus is more on Ted's development and his relationship with his son, which plays out wonderfully. I liked the dynamics caused by the twist of forcing a dad to be the sole caretaker of a child. It's obvious at the beginning that Ted has no idea what he's doing and doesn't necessarily have a great bond with his son, but when the boy is injured at the playground, one can see how much his love has grown over the time he has had alone with his son.

Meryl Streep was in the movie for a much shorter time than I expected, but enough to win the best supporting actress Oscar. Hoffman also won his own Oscar, and the movie also took home best picture, best director, and best screenplay. I don't know what else was out that year, but I'm not so sure I would have given the movie that much praise, but it is really good. Hoffman and Streep tend to be actors that I don't really enjoy even though they are good at what they do, but here they both shine more than usual. The subtle screenplay is just right, although I do feel that the ending is a little bit forced. Overall, a great little picture.