Great Scene: “Kramer vs. Kramer”
Here is an IMDB plot summary of the 1979 movie Kramer vs. Kramer, screenplay by Robert Benton, based on a novel by Avery Corman:
A just divorced man must learn to care for his son on his own, and then must fight in court to keep custody of him.
There are two scenes in the movie that have always stuck with me, a classic example of a set-up & payoff. This first is the morning after Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) has left her husband Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) and their son Billy (Justin Henry). Ted, who has been a working father and knows very little about housework, perhaps even less about his son, tries to keep things upbeat as he and Billy wake up:
Ted struggles to his feet and THE CAMERA TRACKS WITH
THEM as they start toward the kitchen.BILLY
When is mommy coming back?TED
(lying)
Soon. Very soon.By now they are inside the kitchen, Ted looks around.27 HIS P.O.V.: There, on the kitchen cabinet is a
box of "natural grain" cereal, a jar of honey, some
wheat germ, and a banana, with carefully written
instructions from Joanna underneath.ON TED--He takes one look at the note, crumples it
up and tosses it in the wastebasket.TED
(the camp counselor)
I'll tell you what, kiddo--why
don't I fix us some French toast?BILLY
(impressed)
Wow! French toast, really?TED
(the camp counselor)
Sure. Didn't I ever tell you
French toast was my specialty?
I'll bet I never told you that.
Now then, the first thing we
need is...
(trying desperately
to remember)
... eggs! Right?Billy nods. Ted opens the refrigerator and takes some
eggs.TED
This is terrific ... isn't this
terrific?As Ted begins the process of making French toast, it
soon becomes obvious that he has no idea of what he is
doing. What follows is a symphony in incompetence on
Ted's part. He breaks the eggs into a bowl and ends up
with most of the shell mixed up with the egg. Then he
takes a piece of bread and drops it into bowl.TED
(saying it will
make it so)
I'm having a good time...Are you
having a good time?ON BILLY--watching all of this with increasing
apprehension.BILLY
You forgot the milk.TED
(still the camp
counselor)
That's right. You're absolutely
right...It's been a long time
since I made French toast.Ted takes a container of milk, pours it into the bowl
so that it is filled to the brim. Then he sloshes the
bread around until it is half-dissolved.TED
Look at this, isn't this
something?!He lops off a huge hunk of butter, drops it into an
omelet pan and turns up the flame.ON BILLY--watching. He looks as though he is about to
throw up.BILLY
What about my orange juice?TED
(the counterman)
Right. One O.J. coming up.He opens the refrigerator and starts to get the orange
juice. As he does, black smoke begins to billow
ominously from the frying pan.BILLY
(scared)
Daddy!!!Ted turns, spots the smoke.TED
Don't worry.. .Everything'sfine...He lunges for the handle of the frying pan, which by
now is very hot. He grabs it, lets out a howl of pain
and the whole mess, frying pan, butter, bread, goes
crashing to the floor.CLOSE ON TED--Suddenly all the rage comes pouring out.TED
Goddam! Son of a bitch!REACTION, BILLY--terrified.WIDE SHOT--as Ted kneels down and begins to clean up
the mess.TED
(to himself as much as
to Billy)
It's okay. It's gonna be okay...
Everything's going to be all
right.
There is a second french toast scene which is toward the very end of the movie, the morning when Billy is going to live with his mother:
138 INT. KRAMER KITCHEN - MORNINGON TED AND BILLY--They stand side by side, like a
surgeon and his assistant. Spread out on the counter
in front of them are the makings of French toast.
The following is done with great efficiency, in
contrast to the first time we saw them go through the
same ritual. They work in silence except for an
occasional command. Each concentrating on this last
moment of closeness, each doing his best to avoid
thinking about Billy's departure. Finally:ON BILLY--looking at his father, trying to memorize
the older man's face.Ted turns, sees his son watching him.TED
(with false gaiety)
Hey? What's doin' with that
bread? Let's see a little hustle
around here.
Here are the two scenes as they appear in the movie:
The second french toast scene is at the 1:55 mark in the clip:
A good set-up & payoff can serve as a measuring stick of a character’s metamorphosis. In this case, these two little scenes show at first how little Ted knows about parenting, then by the second scene, how well he’s evolved into becoming a real parent.
Also note this terrific little change in the dialogue: In the first scene, instead of Ted swearing a generic “Goddam,” as in the script, Ted blurts out, “God damn her.” It’s a fantastic way to show Ted projecting his anger and hurt over what Joanna has done — leaving him — onto the pain and frustration of burning his hand with the skillet. Her shadow has loomed over the entire scene. That one little change brings Joanna — and her absence — to the forefront of the moment.
What other scenes do you recall from Kramer vs. Kramer?
[Originally posted September 3, 2010]