Detailed item info | Movie description | When theatrical mastermind Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) finds himself blacklisted by just about every producer in the acting business, he decides to thwart the entertainment industry by disguising himself as an older woman and auditioning for a daytime soap opera. Dorsey arrives for the audition in a dress and makeup. Calling himself Dorothy Michaels, he/she gives an astonishing screen test and is hired on the spot by the show's executive (Dabney Coleman). Dorsey is an overnight sensation with the show's fans, but as his secret career escalates, his relationship with his girlfriend (Teri Garr) suffers. Soon Dorsey finds a new romantic interest at work with his co-star, Julie. The only problem is, Julie thinks Dorsey is a woman and it's not long before she's trying to fix up Dorothy with her single father.
In the tradition of Mel Brooks's THE PRODUCERS, Sydney Pollack's TOOTSIE is a rich, funny, complex film. In featuring Hoffman as the smock-wearing protagonist, its boldness exposes movie-goers to the hilarious challenges faced by a modern cross-dresser. At the same time, the film promoted tolerance for transgendered people. Hoffman is unforgettable as the actor so desperate for work that he'll dress as a woman to get it, and supporting players Geena Davis and Bill Murray create plenty of comedy relief to help the plot along.
| | Credits | | Cast: | Bill Murray, Charles Durning, Dabney Coleman, Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Sydney Pollack, Teri Garr |
| | Details | | Edition: | 25th Anniversary Edition |
| | Editorial reviews | "...TOOTSIE is an extremely funny movie..."
Sight and Sound - Nick Roddick (06/01/1983)
"...Remarkably funny and entirely convincing....[The] film instantly takes flight with charm and confidence and stays aloft thereafter..."
Variety - Cart. (12/08/1982)
"...Better than ever and looking better than ever..."
USA Today - Mike Clark (02/07/1992)
"Hoffman had more than proven his chop by then; but this drama-comedy, male-female dichotomy of a film was something else again."
Premiere - Premiere Staff (04/01/2004)
"TOOTSIE earned 10 Oscar nods and remains a masterful farce..." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly - Entertainment Weekly Staff (02/15/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The] gender-bender farce is still a gas, Hoff on virtuoso form as a turbulent actor flunking on Broadway....Something special."
Empire - Empire Staff (03/01/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[B]y playing its farcical situation for real, Dusty, Sydney et al were able to sprinkle the laughs with some serious musings on gender stereotyping and the differences between the sexes."
Total Film - Neil Smith (04/01/2008)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here's some Wilder-ish wit..."
Uncut - Chris Roberts (04/01/2008)
| | Awards | 1982 Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Lange
|
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