Rain Man (雨人)

When the self-centered, avaricious Charlie Babbitt is informed that his long-estranged father has died, he gets two surprises. First, he inherits his father’s prize roses and a 1949 Buick Roadmaster but not the three million dollars he is longing to get. Second, the three million dollars are inherited by his brother while he doesn’t even know the fact that he has a brother, Raymond Babbitt, an autistic-savant who is good at memorizing chores and add, subtract, multiply and divide without a second’s hesitation.

     Disappointed at not getting one cent of his father’s entire legacy, he takes Raymond hostage in order to obtain the money he deserves.

     During their seven days cross-country odyssey, Charlie is forced to tolerate Raymond’s various autistic idiosyncracie which he insists on adhering to rigid daily routines and rituals. Charlie is almost driven to crazy because of these inflexible schedules including eating pancakes with sticks, having the specific meals on specific days, sleeping on the bed which is near the window at eleven o’clock, not going outside on rainy days and so on. Even more, Raymond almost mutters all the time.

      At first, Charlie is mean to Raymond. However, by living with his autistic brother several days, the ice on his cool heart gradually melts. He learns to be more considerate, more patient and even has the desire to live with Raymond in the future for he has been his dearst brother since they were in their childhood. On the other hand, Raymond learns some skills to live in the real world and tries to walk out of the shadow he is in little by little. He dances with Charlie, plays cards, kissed Susanna, Charlie’s girlfriend and even drives his father’s car on the road. Charlie gives Raymond something he can’t get at Wallbrook, the psychological hospital and Raymond gives Charlie something he can’t get in his busy life. Both of them show their live to each other in their own way.

     There is the picture, the lively picture of the eighteen-year-old Raymond and the two-year-old Charlie. Rain Man and Charlie. Brothers. As a proverb goes, “Blood is thicker than water.” Although Raymond has to return to Wallbrook while Charlie lives in Los Angelus, they have connected to each other-by their sincere hearts. Sometimes, love does change something in our life, even in the most subtle way, it works.