The movie that finally made people stop asking "Do you mean 'artistic?'": "Rain Man"

Perfect example of why every home absolutely should have access to Turner Classic Movies. As John Kerry might ask, "Who among us has not seen 'Rain Man?'" But when you can catch a classic like this without commercials and in widescreen ... well, that's watching a movie, my friend.

Especially a movie that really delivers with the two lead performances. Everyone and his brother knows about Dustin Hoffman and how his portrayal of autistic savant Raymond Babbitt brought home the Oscar. And hey, it's hard to argue with that even after a dozen viewings. But allow me what the kids call a "shout-out" to Mr. Tom Cruise, who played Ray's younger brother Charlie and not only knocked it out of the park but sent that mother flying into the stratosphere.

You know the story, so no need to recap. In a way, Hoffman might have had the easier role. I mean, his Raymond is supposed to be simple and an insane creature of habit. No question that Hoffman fully inhabited the role and showed few, if any, cracks in his autistic armor. There's a reason why almost everyone has babbled "Sally Dibbs" or "about a hundred dollars" or "I'm definitely not wearing my underwear" at one time or another.

It's a lot harder to ape Charlie Babbitt, and that's due to his character being a hell of a lot more complex. We first meet Charlie as some hotshot luxury car salesman, and he remains a first-class prick for more than an hour ... hell, 90 minutes. But it's clear he has an ax to grind with his dead father, and that he's having a hard time wrapping his mind around the whole autistic brother thing.

That's what makes his coming to terms with the situation all the more gripping, and Cruise handles this incredibly well, especially considering he was what ... 25 or 26 at the time? Name one twentysomething actor today who could have pulled this off as well. Leo's too old. So is Christian Bale. Who else? Jake Gyllenhaal? Orlando Bloom? Really, I want to know. Between the intense anger early on and sad recognition/acceptance near the end, Cruise killed this role. It's mind-boggling that Hoffman actually was the original choice, or that when he took the Raymond role, he wanted Bill Murray to play Charlie. ("Gunga galunga, Ray ... gunga, gunga-galunga.")

Of course, for me and many others, the money scene is when the brothers get to Las Vegas. Watching them descend the escalator in their new suits ... you just knew they were getting ready to do some damage. I think of that every time I go to Vegas, even when I drive. You see, Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway every Saturday. I'm an excellent driver ...