Truly Dreadful Film

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

A male actor dresses up as a woman to get rid of his bad reputation in the movie world in order to get out of unemployment. Will he pull this trick off? That's the story of "Tootsie". Sounds silly, but it is hilarious.I remember that I saw it first back in the eighties and it was a huge box office hit then. I loved it, but thought of it as just a feelgood comedy. There is much more to this extraordinary script though. I have seen it over 10 times now and this picture is truly a great comedy classic, because after decades this movie still stands the test of time: it's got tremendously witty dialogues and has got just the right balance between over the top humor and serious acting.Director Sydney Pollack commented "No one ever laughed during the shooting of any scenes of the film. It's only funny because of its story structure."The actors are all to die for! What a cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Bill Murray, Terri Garr. Those two last named actors came straight from a line of other comedies. Hoffman and Lange however were only known for their more serious roles. To indicate how seriously Dustin Hoffman took his role as dressing up as a woman, he made several appearances in real life to check out if people actually believed he was a woman. He passed with flying colors at his daughter's school and also during a raunchy encounter with actor jose ferrer in an elevator. (for more fun anecdotes check "Trivia" in the imdb menu) The director Sidney Pollack was at his peak of his carreer and plays a cameo role in his own movie as a grumpy movie agent. Amost all of Sidney Pollack's movies have won numerous oscars, "Out of Africa" is best known.His movies really stand out and "Tootsie" does so as well ! (By the way checkout the metacritics rating which scored 87 points which is much higher than the imdb score)."Tootsie" is really hilarious. And I mean REALLY hilariously funny. And it has got some lighthearted romance as well. The very well scripted story and the serious quality acting gives the movie the structure and believability which makes it rise out far above any other average comedy. For all of those too young to have ever seen it, please try it out, it is truly a lovely, witty, surprising and endearing modern comedy. Kids would love it. Adults would love it. Anybody would melt for the charming humor of "Tootsie". I feel so good having watched it for the 11th time...

Tootsie is simultaneously funny/entertaining... And wildly over-hyped and dated (that score and those songs just suck). I know such things like critical appraisal shouldn't matter, but to give an example this is #2 on the AFI top comedies list, above Dr Strangelove (which is #3). That's like saying American Sniper is the #2 war movie of all time above #3 Saving Private Ryan. It's supposed to be Hoffman's movie, and he puts his all into it, but I'll be damned if Dabney Coleman (who's first rate), Sydney Pollack (who originally didn't want to even be in the movie and was thankfully forced by Hoffman for the good reason that no one could tell Michael what to do like him) and Bill Murray don't steal the movie out from under him. This is a case to me where the "straight men" get more of the laughs, and Hoffman gets his share. Also ups to Teri Garr and Charles Durning too, albeit the latter comes in like a realer but less funny version of the "well, nobody's perfect" guy from Some Like it Hot.It's a handsomely made, usually well timed sitcom. It somehow managed to be nominated at the Oscars alongside the likes of ET, The Verdict and Das Boot (Lange got a not undeserved one too as the heart of the movie).

Talented, but notoriously difficult struggling actor Michael Dorsey (superbly played by Dustin Hoffman) poses in drag as actress Dorothy Michaels in order to land a role on a popular soap opera. Complications ensue when "Dorothy" befriends and subsequently falls for co-star Julie Nichols (a fine and affecting performance by Jessica Lange).Director Sydney Pollack, working from a clever and perceptive script by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, wisely treats the outrageous premise straight so that the humor comes across as natural and spontaneous instead of strained and contrived. Moreover, this film not only offers some biting insights pertaining to complex gender roles, the competitive cut-throat nature of show business, and the intrinsic mounting problems one inevitably encounters from trying to pull off an elaborate ruse for any length of time, but also gains considerable depth and poignancy from the way Dorsey learns to be a better man by pretending to be a woman.In addition, it's acted with tremendous skill and zest by a tip-top cast: Bill Murray lends hilarious support as Dorsey's flaky roommate Jeff, Charles Durning contributes a touching turn as Julie's lonely and smitten father Les, and Dabney Coleman smarms it up perfectly as sexist pig director Ron, plus there's praiseworthy work from Teri Garr as the neurotic Sandy, Geena Davis as the sweetly sexy April, George Gaynes as pompous ham John Van Horn, Pollack as Dorsey's no-nonsense agent George Fields, and Doris Belack as feisty producer Rita. Both Owen Roizman's crisp widescreen cinematography and Dave Grusin's bouncy score are up to par. A total treat.

Michael Dorsey is a respected but perfectionist actor. Nobody in New York wants to hire him, so he disguises himself as a woman, Dorothy Michaels in order to get a role on the popular daytime soap opera.The performance by Dustin Hoffman is wonderful and it fascinated me. I watched "Rain Man" only recently, so I was surprised at the range of his acting. He looks very good in female dress.This film was made in 1982, so we can feel 1980's atmosphere. However, it doesn't fade and I got a fresh impression from this film.Also Dave Grusin's pop and tender music matches this comedy film.I realized that people cannot succeed without knowing how to get along in the world to some extent even if they have ability.This film not only made me laugh bud also warmed my heart. It taught me the importance of being honest in my life. This is the film which I want to watch again.