Tootsie (1982)

Star Rating: 4
Length of Film: 119 minutes
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Terri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Sydney Pollack, George Gaynes, Geena Davis
Oscar: Jessica Lange (actress in support role)
Oscar Nomination: Sydney Pollack, Dick Richards (best picture), Sydney Pollack (director), Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal, Don McGuire (screenplay), Dustin Hoffman (actor), Teri Garr (actress in support role), Owen Roizman (photography), Fredric Steinkamp, William Steinkamp (editing), Dave Grusin, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman (song), Arthur Plantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Rick Alexander,
Les Lazarowitz (sound)


Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a talented actor, who can change his persona at the drop of a hat. Michael went with his friend Sandy (Teri Garr), to an audition for a soap opera. Sandy wasn't in the room for more than 10 seconds when he dismissed her, saying she wasn't what he was looking for. Michael went to his agent, George Fields (Sydney Pollack) venting that he hasn't gotten an interview. George goes on and tells him he hasn't gotten a job in New York, because he has a reputation of being difficult. No one will hire someone with an "attitude". Michael, being insulted decides to audition for the same part as Sandy for Southwest General, meaning he has to dress up in drag. Dorothy Michael auditions for the part, and just like Sandy, she doesn't ever get to read
for the part.

Ron Carlisle : I'm afraid you're not right for this role. Thanks for coming by.
Dorothy Michaels: Why am I not right, Mister Carlisle?
Ron Carlisle: I'm trying to make a certain statement and I'm looking for a specific physical type.
Dorothy Michaels: Mr. Carlisle, I'm an actress. I'm a character actress. I can play it any way you want.
Ron Carlisle: I'm sure you're a very good actress. It's just that you're not threatening enough.
Dorothy Michaels: Not threatening enough? Listen, you take your hands off me or I'll knee your balls right through the roof of your mouth! Is that enough of a threat?
Ron Carlisle: [shaken] It's a start.

Dorothy, of course gets casted in the soap opera, and this is where the fun really happens! On set he meets Julie (Jessica Lange) a beautiful Nurse on the show, Southwest General. Immediately, Michael felt attracted to her, but of course, on set...he was a woman. Dorothy, surprisingly caught the eye of co-worker John Van Horn (George Gaynes), who kisses Dorothy, even though Michael tried his hardest to not let that happen.

Dorothy and Julie became very close, Julie asked Dorothy to come over to read lines, invited her to a weekend away at her dad's house, and Michael intimately falls for her, even thought nothing intimate can happen...because Julie thinks Dorothy is a woman.

This movie has so many great one liners, and Michael gets really deep into being Dorothy, wanting the nicest clothes, and freaking out that she doesn't have anything to wear, getting into the womanly psychi of his alter ego, Dorothy. While Sandy was showering, Michael saw a beautiful dress laid out on her bed. He starts undressing, so he could try on her dress. Of course, Sandy walks in and Michael covers himself by saying he wants to have sex with her.

I don't think that Teri Garr got enough credit for this movie. She was my favorite part in the movie. I'm glad that she was nominated for the oscar for best supporting actress. She's the crazy, jealous lover, who's spacey and doesn't know what's going on. She's great!

The movie has this crazy love pentagon, and it gets very complicated, but it adds to the drama and causes a lot of complications. I'm watching this movie for the 1st time, 30 years after it was made. It doesn't shock me to see 2 guys kiss, or see a man dressed up as a woman, but I guarantee that if I was a 26 year old, in 1982, going to the theater to see this movie, I'd be taken back and shocked to see that on screen.

Bill Murray is also in this movie, and surprisingly, he doesn't steal the show. He plays Michael's best friend and roommate, a writer. He's the one that Michael turns to for fashion advice, and gets him out of tricky situations he's in with Sandy. I never knew how toll Bill Murray was, until he stands next to Dustin Hoffman in the movie. Bill TOWERS over Dustin. I looked it up, and Dustin Hoffman only stands at 5' 5 1/2" while Bill Murray stands at 6' 2".

See the movie for the complicated relationships that form, the comical Teri Garr as Sandy, and seeing Dustin Hoffman's character becoming and acting more like a woman. This movie deserves to be on the list of 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.