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About
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.
Theatrical
Dec 19, 1979
Box Office
$106.3M
Budget
$8.0M
Return
13.3x
DVD / Blu-ray
Aug 28, 2001
Theaters
1
Director
Robert Benton
Writer
Robert Benton
Producers
Stanley R. Jaffe, Richard Fischoff
Studio
Columbia Pictures, Stanley Jaffe Productions
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Quotes
See all →A Mother's Love and Acceptance
Joanna Kramer
I woke up this morning, kept thinking about Billy and I-I was thinking about him waking up in his room with his little clouds all around that I painted. And I thought I should have painted clouds downtown, because then he would think that he was waking up at home. I came here to take my son home. And I realized he already is home. Oh, I love him very much. I'm not gonna take him with me. Can I go up and talk to him?...
[Joanna and Ted hug]
Ted Kramer
Listen why don't you go upstairs and see him and I'll wait here.
Joanna Kramer
How do I look?
[wipes the tears from her eyes and pats her hair]
Ted Kramer
You look terrific.
Difficult Decisions in Professional Settings
Ted Kramer
You're firing me?
Jim O'Connor
Yeah, I'm letting you go, yes.
Ted Kramer
Why?
Jim O'Connor
Now, look, Ted, this is a very painful thing for me. You don't know how badly I feel,. I've been getting a lot of pressure from the guys upstairs, and there wasn't anything else I could do. I thought a lot about this and it's really better this way. If I took your stripes... if I put you on a schlock account, you'd hate it, and me for doing it. This way it's a clean break. And believe me, that's the best thing.
Ted Kramer
You know my wife is fighting me for custody?. You know that we're going to court?. Do you know what my chances are if I'm out of a job?.
Jim O'Connor
Look, I understand that you're upset...
Ted Kramer
I don't want to beg, but I'm asking you, please, as a friend. Ah?... I'm asking you.
Jim O'Connor
You're an extremely bright guy. You've got a hell of a talent. You're gonna land on your feet. You're gonna survive...Teddy, look. I know you may be short on cash. No big hurry about paying this back.
Custody Battle's Complex Legal Landscape
Ted Kramer
I don't know the legal jargon for it, but I think it's "desertion." I don't mean to tell you your job, but I think I have an open-and-shut case.
John Shaunessy
Well, at first Mr. Kramer, there's no such thing as an open-and- shut case where custody is involved. I'll bet your ex-wife has already found a lawyer who's advised her to move back to establish residency. The burden is on us to prove that your ex-wife is an unfit mother. That means I'll have to play rough. If I play rough, you can bet they will too. Can you take that?
Ted Kramer
Yes.
John Shaunessy
And it's going to cost you $15,000.
Self-Discovery and Maternal Love
Joanna Kramer
All my life I've felt like...somebody's wife or somebody's mother, somebody's daughter. Even all the time we were together I never knew who I was. And that's why I had to go away. And in California, I think I found myself. I got myself a job. I got myself a therapist, a really good one. And I feel better about myself than I ever have in my whole life. I learned a great deal about myself.
Ted Kramer
Such as?... No, really, I'd really like to know what you learned.
Joanna Kramer
Well, I've learned that I love my little boy. And that I'm capable of taking care of him.
Ted Kramer
What do you mean?
Joanna Kramer
I want my son.
Ted Kramer
You can't have him
Joanna Kramer
Don't get defensive. Don't try to bully me.
Ted Kramer
I'm not getting defensive. Who walked out 15 months ago?
Cast
Full credits →
Dustin Hoffman
Ted Kramer
M
Meryl Streep
Joanna Kramer
J
Jane Alexander
Margaret Phelps
J
Justin Henry
Billy Kramer
H
Howard Duff
John Shaunessy
G
George Coe
Jim O'Connor
J
JoBeth Williams
Phyllis Bernard
B
Bill Moor
Gressen
H
Howland Chamberlain
Judge Atkins
J
Jack Ramage
Spencer
J
Jess Osuna
Ackerman
N
Nicholas Hormann
Interviewer
E
Ellen Parker
Teacher
D
Donald Gantry
Surgeon
J
Joe Seneca
Partygoer
D
David Golden
Grocer
S
Sean Albertson
Boy in Hospital (uncredited)
I
Iris Klein
Partygoer (as Iris Alhanti)
P
Peter Lownds
Norman
I
Ingeborg Sørensen
Woman at Christmas Party
