MovieChat Forums > Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) Discussion > Anybody else think this film was horribl...

Anybody else think this film was horribly misogynistic?

posted 16 years ago by jackdarrenhunt
47 replies | jump to latest

Joanna is an emotional basket case (verging on a psycho-stalker) who walks out on her son 'to find herself'.

Phyliss is an easy lay who gets naked and humiliated as a cheap thrill for the audience.

Margaret decides to go back to her ex-husband.

The only other women in this film is Ted's PA - who comes out of it quite well.

Having said that all the men are macho *beep*

Not really a film that shines a warm light on humanity.

That's a feckin' jazz haircut!

[–] DefLowd 12 years ago

It wasn't horribly misogynistic but yeah it was somewhat sexist I thought. I certainly could tell it was written by a man. Joanna was a monster and Ted was a saint. A better movie would have fleshed out her character and made her actions understandable instead of outrageous.

[–] Jane_Doe01 12 years ago

Great, then "I certainly can tell" that you're a woman (especially one with some obvious guy problems) by reading your dumbass, thoughtless comments. Wow. The movie did not portray her in any "outrageous" kind of way. It was vague at first, but then they fleshed out the motives behind her actions. Did you watch the whole thing or what? Oh yea, and Ted looking like a "saint"..wtf'nf? I think your mind would have to be too clouded by being a woman, or some level of vagina worshipper to watch the movie and conclude such nonsense. For a "better movie", I suppose you would have written the story to make the woman look like the real saint, not for the sake of anything film/story-related but because you're a woman. And of course in that case people "would certainly be able tell" a woman wrote it, hah. That's how simplistic your thinking is here.

Either you really didn't understand the movie you watched, or you didn't like that a woman and mother was portrayed as realistically flawed. Would you rather another stereotypical June Cleaver type?

Btw, I'm guessing that the only one point preventing you from calling it "horrible misogynistic" was that Joanna still won the custody battle. Which I'm sure she would have in your "better" version of the movie, too.

[–] Jane_Doe01 12 years ago

No but I was almost sure that some misandrists would come out thinking that. A father was portrayed to be a possibly more capable and suitable parent than a mother, after all. And his imperfections were portrayed as forgivable. The horror! (Even with the sad fact that just like in the movie, in 1979, he would be likely to lose a custody battle in real life).

[–] cartoonloon8 12 years ago

And yet sadly all these things happen every day in real life.

I think you completely missed the point. For me, the movie was about how strong and good one person can be, even when surrounded by people that are very self involved.

The selflessness of Ted's character is what makes this movie so special.

[–] dtizzlefosho 12 years ago

I don't think it was misogynistic at all. The fact of the matter is that people take actions that have very traumatic effects on others every day. Mrs. Kramer was a grade-a b. But that happens. Just because she is a woman doesn't make it misogynistic. I actually think this film avoided the easy route it could have gone by flipping the gender roles.

As far as the rest of the women go, Maragret is portrayed as flawed, though not without many redeeming qualities. Phyliss, in my opinion, is a sexually liberated woman who was absolutely necessary to show Mr. Kramer's struggle to commit 100% to the Daddy role.

Liberal-minded is not synonymous with open-minded.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] livingfortoday 12 years ago

I don't agree. Joanna is a good and complex character, and it pretty clear that Ted was an awful husbond to her while they were together. Neither of them are perfect, and that's one of the things I really love about this movie. You understand both sides.

[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

Good mothers don't walk away from their kids for A YEAR & A HALF!
If they need a couple months to get their heads together (if they're broken up mentally), that's one thing.
But she not only walked out, she wrote Billy a letter TELLING HIM she didn't want to be his mom any more!

Yes, Ted was a jackass for the first half of the film. But Joanna was one serious b*tch, for the above reasons.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] LukeLovesFilm28 9 years ago

Awful husband? WTF? Did you watch the same movie? Trying to make good money to provide for your wife and son does not make you an "awful" husband or father. He wasn't beating them up for crying out loud. But it costs money to keep three people fed, clothed and out of the gutter.

[–] Stirchley 9 years ago

Phyliss is an easy lay who gets naked and humiliated as a cheap thrill for the audience.

Wasn't Ted an easy lay too?

[–] liamforeman 9 years ago

Oh give me a break. The film starts out with Ted being a terrible husband and father that leaves his wife no other option but to leave. Then it shows the stereotypical misandrist version of him not knowing how to cook or clean or how to relate to an 8 y/o child.

Then don't get me started on the misandry of the judge ruling in favor of a totally selfish and mentally unstable mother, just because she's a woman.

If anything it was a female power film making fun of men. Get over yourself.