"Tootsie" is a successful and entertaining comedy. While not as good as its reputation, there are many genuine laughs to compensate for its weaknesses. "Tootsie" stars Dustin Hoffman as a talented but troublesome actor, unemployable due to his reputation. Out of desperation, he dresses up as "Dorothy" to win a role as a woman on a daytime soap. He is somehow able to pull off this fraud for a year, although it causes problems with his old girlfriend Teri Garr, his new girlfriend Jessica Lange, and his boyfriend (?) Charles Durning.
"Tootsie" examines gender roles and differences,
and seems to conclude that women are better than
men. In his final lines, Hoffman admits that he
was better as a woman than he is as a man,
whatever that means. One of the male characters
is a jerk (soap director Dabney Coleman) and
another is a romantic buffoon (George Gaynes).
Admittedly, the principal female characters have
their faults as well. Lange drinks too much,
while Garr can't get her life together.
Other than two Steven Bishop songs, the most
obvious weakness of "Tootsie" is that no one
except his roommate (Bill Murray, in one of his
best supporting roles) and his agent (Sydney
Pollack, who also directed) knows that "Dorothy"
is a man. Even more unlikely is the unwanted
romantic attention he receives, from Gaynes and
Durning.
This was the first feature film for Geena Davis.
She makes an auspicious debut in a dressing room.
"Tootsie" was nominated for numerous Academy
Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor
(Hoffman), Best Director, Best Original
Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Garr) and
Best Cinematography (Owen Roizman). Somehow, the
sappy "It Might Be You" was nominated for Best
Original Song. The only Oscar the film won was by
Jessica Lange for Best Supporting Actress. (68/100)
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