I didn't watch this but I remember Dustin went to court to prevent this movie from airing on TV. I guess he's embarassed now but why did accept to play in this in the first place?
shareThis interview he did could reveal a reason as to why he did the role: http://www.themarysue.com/dustin-hoffman-tootsie/
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I would have wanted it blocked too. I'm effin tired of patriarchy and males seeking to own all situations and rob females of decency through such ridiculous role-playing.
And to all the commenters saying he does a great portrayal of a female, WTF??? He could never have passed for a female, not in a thousand years. People who do not understand biological differences should refrain from giving biological opinions. :(
I've seen this movie a few times, not watched in the whole thing after the first time... and it's just as bad each time. Just like Mrs. Doubtfire is horrible, just like the Tyler Perry films are horrible. Why do males feel such a need to constantly impersonate and "improve" on females, depicting us as idiots. If I never see a male impersonating a female on film again it will be too soon.
***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**
Feminist much?
shareThat's not feminism. That's just zero sense of humor.
I thought it could be construed as insulting because the story is "all it takes to be a successful woman is be a man in a dress." Just like Lawrence of Arabia was an English guy showing the Arabs how it's done - or Tom Cruise being the most successful Samuri "whitey style." But this is a funny movie. Dustin Hoffman does a great job.
Don't blame feminism on someone with no sense of humor.
Except for the fact that TE Lawrence was an actual person who put his life on the line. And your comment about him shows that you know nothing of his life, what he did, or WWI in general.
sharelol @ you thinking that's an insult.
shareYou need to lighten up. It's a funny movie.
shareI agree, but it has one thing going for it; being set thirty years ago it shows a different generation of women who were brought up in a society with different rules/attitudes. Most of the actresses tolerate the sexual harassment and sexism of the director. I think that demonstrates the power/danger of social conditioning - a man who isn't used to being treated that poorly steps into their shoes and immediately challenges it. It shows that men/boys are brought up to be authority and/or defy it it, and women/girls are brought up to follow. To the movies credit, the father brings up a critical issue - the issue of sex and that men and women are fundamentally the same, and he rubbishes it, but the fact that the film-makers dragged that issue in showed they were trying to make a statement.
shareWell, I was already a woman 30 years ago, and to tell you the truth, in some ways the women back then fought harder against this type of stuff than today. I see young women being trained for the male gaze and submission way more today (I teach) than I did back then. These things go in messy cycles of time and geography, and today's young women are in for a rude awakening. :(
And consider that Tyler Perry's impersonations are ongoing today, and people are not bating an eyelid...
***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**
Back to the topic -
Dustin Hoffman didn't try to block this movie- where are you people getting your information??? This was a dream role for him, which would go on to be regarded as his best performance by many critics. He fought with director Sydney Pollock over creative control, but he did not have an issue playing a woman. If he DID, he would have dropped out.
You obviously did not consult the link provided above or the conversation. His dislike of the movie came at the end, not during filming. He changed his outlook on the whole thing. People can change their minds...
***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**
You obviously did not consult the link provided above or the conversation. His dislike of the movie came at the end, not during filming. He changed his outlook on the whole thing. People can change their minds...
***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**
"People can change their minds" - uh that's something you say about someone debating if they like a certain flavor of coffee, not a movie role. You're just a homophobic prick. I'm sure we'll be seeing you in *beep* town when Trump gives a speech.
Hoffman is always praising this movie, there's a recent 2013 interview with him.
Spewing insults at someone for the mere fact of pointing out your mistake... a sure fire sign of a mind that has nothing better to say.
For you information, I am a bi female.
You are in need of an attitude adjustment.
***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**
Drag roles can be insulting to women, just like straight actors playing gay can be insulting to gay people. But that by no means must be the case. I haven't seen Tootsie (came here to decide if I should), but I don't get the impression it was making fun of women or playing femininity for laughs.
Drag is offensive to women when the joke is that men are humiliated by being made to look feminine, or sometimes when woman-things are just treated like a silly and incomprehensible novelty. Works that have (non LGBT) characters in drag and DON'T do this include Some Like it Hot, in which most of the jokes are related to the men's dating lives, and Arrested Development in which the joke is just that Tobias is really stupid. If I remember correctly, Mrs. Doubtfire is offensive to all people with a modicum of intelligence (which is why AD is making fun of it).
So in conclusion, chill out a bit.
this country has WAY too many people who are way too willing to be offended. Taking offense is a choice, and often a tool which is misused to gain social and/or economic power. It is also used in the attempt to force people into one's own way of thinking and behaving.
I think Hoffman saw the role, at least at first, as a supreme acting challenge. Hoffman is nothing if not an actor first, and it was largely about ego, and that's okay. The deeper he got into the role (as method actors do), he learned things about women, he learned things about himself.
the storyline about Michael Dorsey being a pain to work with is of course, one of Hoffman's big reputational problems. The staff on the set learned to give him bad news when he was in character as Dorothy. He reacted more calmly. Why do you think he cries about this role? He knows something within him, a feminine side, is a better person than who he is as a man, something he won't allow himself to become as a man. His crying is about loss and wistfulness.
It's too cheap and easy to allow oneself to get offended and start shouting at people and calling them names. We can do better.
this country has WAY too many people who are way too willing to be offended. Taking offense is a choice, and often a tool which is misused to gain social and/or economic power. It is also used in the attempt to force people into one's own way of thinking and behaving.
Another positive example I think is John Lithgow's wonderful performance as the transsexual Roberta in The World According to Garp. Lithgow didn't resort to any cheap stereotyping, and he imbued a character from a novel difficult to translate to the screen with genuine humanity.
"That cat's something I can't explain..."
I tried to find out more information about any lawsuit blocking the airing of Tootsie on TV, but the only legal action I could find involved Hoffman suing LA Magazine for altering a photograph and using it for commercial purposes without his permission.
A head shot of Hoffman as Tootsie was grafted onto the body of a male model dressed in an evening gown and heels, with both items and their designers being promoted by the magazine. The suit contended that this amounted to a commercial exploitation and misappropriation of Hoffman's likeness. Except for a brief endorsement of Volkswagens early in his career, Hoffman has "steadfastly refused to make product endorsements as a matter of artistic principle and pride." The judge agreed and ruled in his favor.
After watching this clip:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dustin-hoffman-tootsie-made-me-582562
I got the impression that, far from being embarrassed by his role in Tootsie, he feels a great affection for the character and sees her as someone who called him on his judgmental attitude and showed him how limited and unfair his world had been. He gets teary-eyed talking about trying to explain to his wife why he had to do this part.
At the beginning of his career, Hoffman had a lot in common with Michael Dorsey--being opinionated, obsessive, difficult to work with. The changes Dorothy wrought in Dorsey seem to have had a similar affect on Hoffman, rendering him a little less self-absorbed and crazy-making and a bit more aware and respectful of those around him.
Dorothy brought out wonderful things in both men. To paraphrase the movie, the ongoing challenge would be to learn to "do it without the dress."
I can't imagine that Hoffman would not want this to be seen on TV, but if he did indeed try to block its airing, I'd be interested in learning more.
I don't see how it is offensive to women, when Michael says repeatedly that what he discovered that he was twice the man as Dorothy that he was before, and that Dorothy is part of him, "the best part."
He discovered how women feel, what they have to deal with from men, and how he had been part of that exploitation and deceit. He gained a huge respect for women, and a sensitivity in dealing with people he hadn't had before.
It isn't.
share