Kramer vs. Kramer

Winner of five Academy Awards®, this film was a huge hit in 1979 for its poignant and humorous exploration of parental role reversal. Meryl Streep gives one of her star-making, and Oscar®-winning, performances as Joanna Kramer, a mother who has had it with her work-obsessed husband (Dustin Hoffman), and strikes out on her own to find herself - fitting subject matter for the end of the "Me Decade." She leaves her adorable young son Billy (Justin Henry) in the care of Hoffman, who won an Oscar® for his sensitive portrayal of a fumbling dad. Father and son learn to live without mom and ultimately form a deep bond. The heartbreak begins when Joanna decides she wants her son back and Kramer takes Kramer to court for custody of Billy. Memorable because it touched on so many realistic scenarios, Robert Benton's film deservedly won the top Oscars® for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress and Screenplay Adaptation.