Released in December of 1988, Rain Man was a surprise hit with audiences and critics alike. Nominated for eight Oscars, Rain Man collected four including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director for Barry Levinson, and Best Actor in a leading role for Dustin Hoffman. Rain Man also film spread awareness of autism, a largely misunderstood disorder that had never received much public attention. (Although, the film also led to the misconception that all autistics are high-functioning savants, which is not the case.) Watching the film again, I was reminded that not only did Dustin Hoffman turn in one of the best performances of his career, but young Tom Cruise showed a welcome emotional range.

Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) a gray market Lamborghini dealer who loves the material things in life. When we meet him, his business is about to go bust, but he’s not too concerned. His wealthy, estranged father has just died, and Charlie expects to get the lion’s share of his dead dad’s $3 million estate. Naturally, Charlie is shocked to learn he has been largely cut out of the will. He gets his dad’s classic car and his prize-winning rose bushes, but the money goes to an unnamed beneficiary.

Upset, Charlie does a little digging. Following the money trail back to the Walbrook Institute outside Cincinnati, Charlie discovers he has an older brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). A high-functioning autistic savant who’s been institutionalized since childhood. Wanting his share of the inheritance, Charlie kidnaps his brother and drives him across country in their dad’s classic Buick.

In many ways, the road trip is typical of other such adventures in films. On their way from Cincinnati to Los Angeles there is the obligatory trip to Las Vegas where Charlie learns Raymond can count cards—however, the important thing is watching how the two brother’s relationship evolves. Raymond doesn’t change. He remains an innocent, trapped in his own world of rigid schedules and certainties. In the beginning, Rain Man shows us just how much alike the two brothers are. Like Raymond, Charlie is unable to understand other people’s feelings. His relationship with his girlfriend, Susana (Valeria Golino), is strictly physical and Raymond is a ticket to his half of the inheritance.  We watch Charlie slowly soften as he begins to try and understand his brother. At the end, Charlie is a guy who finally has someone in this world he cares about, as much as himself.

Courtesy of MVD visual, Rain Man arrives on 4K UHD with a new restoration (16-bit scan of the original camera negative) approved by director Barry Levenson. The result is a marked improvement over the 2011 Blu-ray. Colors look natural throughout and offer a nice vibrancy in the many outdoor scenes. The Las Vegas scenes have a crisp glow, while the desert scenes showcase a dusty quality. Blacks are deep and inky. A nice level of grain gives things a filmic look. Softness is apparent in a few shots, but it doesn’t affect the overall viewing experience.

Unfortunately, we don’t get a Dolby Atmos track. Instead, it’s the same DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound mix available on the 2011 Blu-ray. It effectively captures the simple sonic presence. Dialogue is always discernible, and Raymond’s screaming tantrums are handled very well. Hans Zimmer’s musical score is also most impressive here – the music is deep and full, with thumping bass that spreads to the lefts and rights. The Las Vegas scenes make nice use of the surround channels.

English SDH subtitles are included.

All of the extras were originally available on the 2011 Blu-ray.

4K UHD Blu-ray Disc:

  • Audio Commentaries: We get three commentary tracks, one from director Barry Levinson, one with writer Barry Morrow, and the last featuring writer Ronald Bass. Levinson’s track is the most complete, while the writers provide script development details.

Blu-ray Disc:

  • Audio Commentaries: We get three commentary tracks, one from director Barry Levinson, one with writer Barry Morrow, and the last featuring writer Ronald Bass. Levinson’s track is the most complete, while the writers provide script development details.
  • The Journey of Rain Man (HD, 22:07) A great making-of documentary, consisting largely of talking head interviews from Levinson and the film’s writers.
  • Lifting the Fog: A Look at the Mysteries of Autism (HD, 20:13): An educational featurette, which includes interviews with some of the real life “Rain Men” who inspired the film.
  • Deleted Scene (SD, 2:13) A single deleted scene—Raymond gets in trouble in a convenience store.
  • Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:13)