Movie Review Courtesy: Tivona Sivaram
Rain man is not the typical kind of caregiving story you might see every day. It’s the story of
two brothers – Charlie and Raymond, and the development of the two individuals in what
could be described as a somewhat unusual situation. The film depicts a clear representation
of autism and the caregiver’s journey with his autistic sibling.
Auto car dealer Charlie Babbitt receives word that his estranged father has died, therefore he
travels home to Cincinnati, where he learns that he has an autistic older brother named
Raymond and that his father’s $3 million inheritance has been bequeathed to the mental
institution where Raymond is housed. As a threat to collect the $3 million bequest, Charlie
somewhat kidnaps Raymond and decides to take him on a cross–country road trip to Los
Angeles.
Charlie Babbitt’s Journey from Hustler to Caregiver
This movie mainly focuses on character development, and we see Charlie’s development
from being a self-serving, stubborn, and selfish person to a caring, understanding and even a
selfless person in some cases.
At the beginning of the movie Charlie calls his brother awful names such as idiot, retard,
weird and crazy. He doesn’t seem to care about his brother and doesn’t even bother
understanding him. After he “kidnaps” his brother, Charlie becomes his full-time caregiver
for the span of 6 days. During this time, we see the relationship between the two develop. At
first Charlie is very harsh on his brother and just wants to use him, but over time we see him
start to notice Raymond’s intelligence, skills, and memory. Throughout his movie we see
how Charlie changes his way of thinking and slowly starts to understand his autistic brother
Raymond and even comes to appreciate him.
first, we see him struggle to cope with his brothers’ moods, routines, and his habit of
repeating things. In many situations we see Charlie expressing his frustrations while taking
care of him. This is something that all caregivers can relate to as caregiving is not an
easy job, and often caregivers experience many challenges along with a variety of emotions
that they might not be able to express.
Over time, Charlie pays more attention to Raymond. For example, Charlie always has to watch
Raymond and can’t leave him alone, as he tends to wander away, or do things that may be
hurtful to him.
At a turning point in the movie, Charlie finds out that Raymond used to sing to him and be
there for him when he was younger, and this is something that most caregivers have
experienced, since their family members may have looked after them and contributed to their
lives in a meaningful way.
Rain Main also doesn’t fail to portray the joys that come with caregiving, such as Charlie
building a relationship and connection with Raymond and listening to and understanding
him. By the end we see Charlie touching Raymond and even kissing him on the forehead.
This is something that definitely counts as joy, and these small things that make caregivers
happy should not be taken for granted.
Charlie Babbitt is also portrayed as someone who tends to hide his emotions, his sentiments
of betrayal and despair behind an arrogant demeanor. His state of well-being is also poor as he struggles to understand both himself and others. But we witness his progression from
being a fully self-centered person to him learning to prioritize others as well as being more
open in talking about his feelings. This progression occurs due to the time spent with his
brother and it contributes to Charlie’s psychological well-being, as he starts to grow on a
personal level. It also contributes to his social well-being as Charlie finally finds a place
where he belongs – with his brother. This also proves that caregiving can not only help the
individual but also help the caregiver in their journey.
Raymond Babbitt – Journey of an Autistic Man
Raymond Babbitt, is a routine driven, somewhat awkward but calm
individual – that is, until one of his habits is disrupted. When his activities are disrupted, he
tends to panic, gets anxious and frustrated. Raymond usually repeats himself a lot, and
mostly lives in his own world. He doesn’t seem to care much about others, or what they do as
long as it doesn’t affect him.
When Charlie takes Raymond away, he is exposed to a variety of new experiences, many of
which cause him to be anxious and frustrated, therefore needing Charlie to look after him.
Raymond’s autism has also made it impossible for him to relate to anyone in a normal way,
but slowly while experiencing the real world, and interacting with many others, he might be
able to.
There is something attractive about Raymond’s character, his naivety, and his way of doing
things, as it defines him, and this even slowly causes Charlie to appreciate him for who he is.
The interactions between the two are maybe something that all caregivers can relate to, as
interactions play a big role in the journey of caregivers.
Raymond’s interactions with Charlie also slowly cause him to open up and become maybe
even a little more independent than before. At the end of the movie, he also seems
comfortable with a bit of attention and physical affection from his brother. As a caregiver
Charlie did help change Raymond, but Raymond also contributed to the change in Charlie.
Caregiving is a very personal and challenging journey, but as this movie shows, it can help
develop character and a better understanding of others, especially those being cared for.
This movie provides an opportunity to discuss what autism is and
how to care for someone who has it. It also gives caregivers a chance to find something they
can relate to.