Rain Man’s Autistic Traits

Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), is the perfect image of the 1980s' yuppie, as a used

car dealer with major money problems and has only a girlfriend, Susanna. Because

having learned that except for a few rosebushes and a vintage 1949 Buick Roadmaster his

recently deceased father has left him, virtually all of his fortune goes to his autistic

brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). A brother he didn't even know he had, Charlie

decides to kidnap Raymond from the Cincinnati facility where he lives, take him to

California, and demand half the inheritance in exchange for his brother's return.

Raymond is a person with autism who has some very interesting traits and

behaviors that really must have been difficult for people to portray, being in the early

1980's. A time when the medical world really didn't know much about what autism was.

We mentioned in class just how far advances have gone in understanding the condition.

The things to focus on during the movie; communication skills, social skills and stereo

typical behaviors- really seem too easy to write about. Raymond does so many things

that could be described.

Now, Charlie isn't the greatest communicator himself; at least as far as listening

goes. He is used to talking people down, and if that doesn't do the trick, he starts to yell.

This, however, just doesn't work with Raymond, who lives in a world of his own, unable

to express emotion in any other way, falls into a nervous tic when feeling threatened. So

for the first time in his life, Charlie has to learn to accept another human being for what

he is, and work "with" his bewildering methods of communication rather than against

them. Raymond has a way of not saying anything when it comes to matters that Charlie

feels are important. He simply retreats into his mind, focusing on exactly what he

normally would be doing if Charlie hadn't taken him. Raymond's lack of communication

frustrates Charlie into his yelling fits, which upsets Raymond.

Along with Raymond's poor communication skills is his inability to really

socialize with anyone. Raymond does not comprehend the meaning of holding a fluent

conversation with another person. He simply says what he needs to in order to get what it

is he needs for that particular moment. Usually something that has to fit his scheduling.

This