These 7 Dustin Hoffman Movies Are Masterpieces
By the mid-1960s, audiences were introduced to a wave of innovative filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese, Mel Brooks, and Francis Ford Coppola, as well as an array of ambitious stars such as Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Meryl Streep, who all played a crucial role in establishing the era of New Hollywood. While many of them made significant contributions to American cinema, Dustin Hoffman is one name that stands out as one of the era’s finest performers. Born in Los Angeles, Hoffman originally hoped to become a classical pianist, but after graduating from high school, he enrolled in Santa Monica College to study medicine. Shortly after, Hoffman decided he wanted to pursue a career in acting and, despite his family’s misgivings, he dropped out of college to join the Pasadena Playhouse.
After appearing in a dozen stage productions in both Los Angeles and New York City, Hoffman made his feature film debut in the 1967 black comedy, The Tiger Makes Out, alongside Eli Wallach. That same year, Hoffman earned his breakthrough role starring as a recent college graduate in Mike Nichols‘ The Graduate, which not only earned him his first Oscar nomination but also put him on track to become one of the most popular leading men on the big screen. For over six decades, Hoffman has starred in a collection of successful films, but some, such as All the President’s Men, Kramer vs. Kramer, and Lenny, are considered to be among his most timeless masterpieces.
7
‘All the President’s Men’ (1976)
Hoffman stars in the biopic political thriller, All the President’s Men, as Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, who, along with fellow Post reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), spearheaded the story surrounding the Watergate scandal in 1972. With the help of an informant known as Deepthroat (Hal Holbrook), Bernstein and Woodward follow a trail of cryptic clues and details that eventually lead them to the White House.
All the President’s Men is one of the greatest movies about the infamous Watergate scandal and features a profound performance by Hoffman that is simply immaculate. Hoffman conveys the real-life journalist with a sense of a defiant instinct and witty sarcasm that not only paints an insightful portrait of Bernstein but also provides an ideal amount of comic relief to the film’s overall intensity. All the President’s Men earned almost universal praise from audiences and critics, receiving eight Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, and winning four of its nominations.
6
‘Rain Man’ (1988)
Barry Levinson‘s Rain Man is a dramatic comedy starring Tom Cruise as a self-centered scam artist, Charlie Babbitt, who, after the death of his estranged father, travels from Los Angeles to Cincinnati only to learn that the family’s multi-million-dollar estate has been left to Charlie’s autistic savant brother, Raymond (Hoffman), whose existence is news to Charlie. Unable to accept being cut out of his father’s will, Charlie convinces Raymond to return with him to Los Angeles, where he plans to try to gain custody of him in an effort to control his inheritance. As the two embark on their journey together, Charlie soon learns that there’s far more to his gifted brother than he originally thought.
Hoffman’s performance in Rain Man is a testament to his stunning ability to take on an incredibly challenging role and execute it with undeniable brilliance and stamina, making it one of his bona fide masterpieces. Hoffman conveys Raymond with a distinct blend of complexity and boyish innocence that tugs at the heartstrings, instilling the audience with a genuine love for his character that only a method actor of Hoffman’s stature could effectively achieve. Rain Main received eight Academy Award nominations and went on to win four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Hoffman, marking his second Oscar win.
5
‘Lenny’ (1974)
Hoffman stars in Bob Fosse‘s biopic drama, Lenny, as legendary stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce, who gained notoriety during the 1960s for his brazen, satirical, and critical style of comedy, making him a controversial but groundbreaking voice in the world of entertainment. The movie focuses on various moments of Bruce’s turbulent life, starting with his initial success, relentless harassment from the law, and his unfortunate downfall as a strung-out performer.
Hoffman captures both the signature humor and emotional vulnerability of Bruce in Lenny, delivering a riveting performance that showcases his unlimited depth as a method actor. While Hoffman’s portrayal is uncanny, Fosse’s intimate close-ups and distinct style of direction elevate Hoffman’s performance to an immersive level, ultimately giving audiences the impression of being up close and personal with the notorious comedian. Lenny received several Academy Award nominations, notably for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, which marked Hoffman’s third nomination in the major category.
4
‘Tootsie’ (1982)
Hoffman takes on another monumental role in Sydney Pollack‘s 1982 romantic comedy, Tootsie, which marked a pinnacle point in the actor’s career. Set in New York City, Hoffman stars as a talented actor, Michael Dorsey, whose reputation for being difficult has made it hard for him to find legitimate work. In an act of desperation, Dorsey disguises himself as a woman, Dorothy Michaels, and lands a part in a popular daytime soap opera, eventually becoming one of the show’s favorite characters. While Dorsey juggles his double life, he eventually finds himself at a crossroads when he starts to fall for his co-star, Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange).
Hoffman delivers a multifaceted performance in Tootsie that provides an insightful view into the professional pecking order, especially in show business, with undeniable satire and ingenuity that solidifies it as one of Hoffman’s all-time best movies. Tootsie was the third highest-grossing film of the year and earned immense praise from critics, who commended both Hoffman and Lange’s performances as well as the film’s ingenious combination of vital social commentary and lighthearted humor. The movie received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Hoffman’s fifth nomination for Best Actor, ultimately winning for Best Supporting Actress for Lange.
3
‘Midnight Cowboy’ (1969)
Based on James Leo Herlihy‘s 1965 novel, Midnight Cowboy is a gritty drama about two lost souls who form an unlikely partnership as they struggle to survive on the unforgiving streets of New York City. Jon Voight stars as a young Texan, Joe Buck, who quits his job and moves to the city where he intends to work as a male escort. When Buck meets a slick con-artist, Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo (Hoffman), they start working together as hustlers, but as Buck’s career begins to take off, Rizzo’s health starts to deteriorate.
Midnight Cowboy is an uncensored view into the seedy underworld of urban America, and for some, it may be difficult to watch, but Hoffman’s performance alone makes this bleak 1969 film all worthwhile. Hoffman delivers a performance that is one of tragic depth, raw exposure, and defiance, which ultimately marked a defining moment in the actor’s then-thriving career. Midnight Cowboy was met with immense praise from both audiences and critics, many of whom addressed Hoffman’s performance as a work of sheer brilliance. The movie received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for both Hoffman and Voight, and went on to win three of its nominations, notably Best Picture and Best Director, making Midnight Cowboy the first and only X-rated movie to win an Academy Award.
2
‘The Graduate’ (1967)
Hoffman stars in his breakout role in Mike Nichols’ The Graduate as a recent college graduate, Benjamin Braddock, who, after moving back to his parents’ house, is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. While Braddock searches for a sense of direction, he’s seduced by a lonely housewife and a friend of his parents, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), but their illicit affair takes a drastic turn when Braddock falls in love with the one woman Robinson advised him to stay away from: her daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross).
Hoffman delivers an authentic but empathetic performance as the boyishly charming Benjamin Braddock and presents a genuinely relatable protagonist who finds himself out of his element and faced with a degree of uncertainty that every viewer can relate to on some personal level. The overwhelming success of The Graduate established Hoffman as a promising leading man, gaining notoriety for his natural charisma and an endearing on-screen presence that essentially set him apart from other up-and-coming New Hollywood actors. The Graduate was a major success that earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Hoffman’s first for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress for Bancroft, and Best Picture, and went on to win for Best Director.
1
‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ (1979)
Kramer vs. Kramer is a legal drama starring Hoffman as an advertising executive and young father, Ted Kramer, who, on the day he lands the biggest account of his career, is blindsided by his wife, Joanna (Meryl Streep), who informs him that she’s leaving him and their son, Billy. As Kramer is forced to raise his son on his own, he eventually ends up losing his job but gains a stronger bond and relationship with Billy. Just as the father and son have become set in their new life, Joanna suddenly returns to gain custody of their son, and the former husband and wife engage in a merciless battle in court, leaving no winners in the end.
Kramer vs. Kramer is based on the 1977 novel written by Avery Corman and features Hoffman in an unprecedented and impassioned performance, which is undeniably one of his greatest masterpieces. The film was a commercial and critical success, but Hoffman’s moving portrayal of a desperate man fighting against the odds stood out to many critics, including Gene Siskel, who cited it as one of the actor’s most memorable performances. Kramer vs. Kramer raked in an impressive nine Academy Award nominations and ended up winning five Oscars, notably Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress for Streep, and Best Actor for Hoffman, marking his win in the prestigious category.
