Episode 34, September 10th 2012

Hey and welcome to another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? the podcast where Jesse and Shaun get together to talk movies. Every two weeks or so, we take a look at the Best Picture Academy Award Winner and top box office earner of the same year to see who was right: the critics or the masses. On this episode, one film won both honors, Kramer vs Kramer (Highbrow/Lowbrow) from the year 1979.

Kramer vs Kramer, directed by Robert Benton, is the story of Ted Kramer who's left take care of his son when his wife suddenly leaves him, making him the sole caretaker in an unfamiliar world of parenting. Dustin Hoffman gives maybe his best performance as Ted, a man trying to bridge the gap between career and family life and dealing with the sacrifices that have to be made. Meryl Streep brings sympathy and understanding to the character of Joanne the absent wife/mom, and the story cements her own reasons for wanting to leave. This film really captured the zeitgeist of that era, where women began to transition to careers from the family life, but remains a timeless film due to the realistic portrayal of the budding father son relationship.

So be sure to listen to the latest episode for some great talk about this great film, Kramer vs Kramer. And let us know what you think about the episode. Check it out below!