Tootsie

There is so much more to this film than Dustin Hoffman running around in a dress trying to act like a woman. Tootsie is one of the most intelligent comedies I've ever seen. It is perfectly cast, well-layered, and full of surprises.

Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey. He seems to know everything about acting except how to stay employed as an actor. In an early montage we see him auditioning for numerous plays where he is either too old, too young, too short, simply not the right guy for the part, or in some cases impossible to work with. We also see him trying to teach his craft to some young wannabe actors, and working at a restaurant to pay the bills. After a hilarious argument with his agent, he is simply told "No one will hire you!" The very next shot has Hoffman in drag walking down the street to an audition for a soap opera part his friend (Terri Garr) was unable to land. So intent is the chauvinistic director (Coleman) on casting a woman that looks tough enough for the part of a hospital administrator, Hoffman is denied without so much as a reading. He responds with a hilarious tirade that opens the door to his television career. Hoffman lands the part, and is soon winning over fans all over the country.

While Hoffman finds it wonderful to be working regularly, his personal life is understandably put to the test. He alienates Garr, is constantly made fun of by his roommate (Murray) and falls in love with one of his co-stars (Lange) who of course cannot learn his secret or he's out of a job. Things are further complicated when two older men fall in love with him. It would be pointless to try and describe some of the awkward situations he finds himself in. You must see the movie to experience them for yourself.

The film is so well-cast it's incredible. There are so many fine actors at work here that it almost becomes a contest of who can steal the scene first. Murray gets his share with his improvised lines. His lamenting of the state of his plays during a party scene will have you howling. The icing on the cake was director Sydney Pollack agreeing to play Hoffman's agent. They only have a few scenes together, but they are the film's best.

Tootsie is head and shoulders above other films I've seen that deal with men in women's clothing. Mrs. Doubtfire for example was all slapstick without much heart. In the end it tried to redeem itself in that department and just got way too sappy. Tootsie also wisely holds back in the feminism department. Although Hoffman's Dorothy Michaels is clearly a woman who inspires others to stand up for themselves, he is advised to tone it down by Pollack in one scene. Hoffman feels his Dorothy character should be doing specials and giving advice and whatnot, but Pollack reminds him, "You have NOTHING to say to women, Michael." In other words, you're lucky you've gotten away with the stunt up to this point, now you should be looking for a way to get out.

Overall Tootsie is wonderful experience. It made a fortune when released, and is still very relevant today. Don't miss it! 10 of 10 stars from the Hound.

Tootsie (1982)

**** (out of 4)

Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is an unemployed actor who is told by his agent (Sydney Pollack) that there's no one in the country that will hire him due to his attitude. Dorsey, seeing this as a challenge, decides to dress as a woman calling herself Dorothy Michaels and gets a job on a soap opera where he strikes up a relationship with one of the stars (Jessica Lange) on the show. As more and more pressure begins to mount, Michael must decide how to get out of the woman's outfit and reveal the truth.

TOOTSIE is in my opinion one of the greatest comedies of the decade and I'd go even further and call it one of the greatest comedies ever made. There are so many wonderful things in the film and it works on so many levels that it's almost shocking when you look back at the film and see how wonderful it is. Not only does the "comedy" of a man dressing as a woman work but the film is more than just laughs as it hits on what it means to be an actor struggling to get work but there's also a lot of heart to the film and there's certainly many underline themes dealing with the differences between men and women.

There are a lot of great things in this movie but there's no question that the true magic belongs to Hoffman who turns in one of his greatest performances. It's rather amazing to see him work here because he's basically got two different characters that share certain things but in the end they have to be separate characters. What impressed me the most was how believable he was as the female character. Not only does the supporting characters have to be able to believe he's a woman but the magic comes because when you see Hoffman as the woman, you believe it to. I think it's somewhat fitting that during the closing credits the character gets separate credits as does Hoffman. I think his performance as the woman is so great that many probably would believe that a real woman was playing her.

The supporting cast is wonderful as well with Lange certainly deserving her Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She gives her character so much heart and pain that you can't help but root for her. Dabney Coleman and Charles Durning are both terrific in their roles as is Teri Garr who is downright hilarious as a somewhat psychotic friend. THen there's Pollack who is simply great as the agent. Bill Murray gives one of his greatest performances here because the story itself is quite out there yet his dry one-liners are just so hilarious that you can't help but have tears running down your face.

Again, the film works perfectly as a comedy but it's so much more than that. The relationship between Dorothy and her co-worker is very believable and the various twists that happen in the plot seem real and they're never forced. The comedy comes in a very natural way and the realistic characters seem real and not something faked or made up. To me TOOTSIE is a flawless movie that manages to get funnier the more times you see it, which is something hard for a comedy to do.

This is a wonderful film,I can't remember how many times I have seen it,I love it! Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels.Along with Jessica Lange and Teri Garr and fantastic direction from and co-star Sydney Pollack,this couldn't be any better.It's a great story and well scripted and very funny besides.If you love films you can't not love this one.This is my 2nd favourite film in the world only because ''Some Like it Hot'' is my first choice.Dustin is one of the best actors in the business and continues to be to this day.

Possibly the best gender comedy of all time! Everything in this baby clicks: A script that is both clever, endearing and realistic in its depiction of the emotional transformation within Michael Dorsey, incredible acting performances (with Dustin Hoffman, Terri Garr and unbilled Bill Murray as standouts) and a great soundtrack that adds volumes to the mood of the film.

This is a 10! Watch it!

This movie just has to be one of the greatest comedies ever made. It is hilirious. Struggling and notoriously hard to work with actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) takes on the role of a woman in a daytime television soap opera, basically because he cannot get any more jobs as a male actor due to his reputation. The fun starts early on in the film with Dorothy Michaels appearing in the New York crowd suddenly and going for the script reading. From then on the film is sentimental, touching, dry and absolutely side-splittingly funny. The other actors/actresses in the film really do make it work. It is brilliantly cast with comedic moments from Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning and the ever-brilliant and sarcastic Bill Murray. I wasn't even born until two years after the movie came out, but it's still so fresh and full of life after 22 years that you just have to love it. It's definately a five star for this. ***** out of *****