This is perhaps where Hoffman is most successful with the character, because he conveys the sense that while Raymond knows who Charlie Babbitt is, and while he knows there is a connection between them, Raymond does not have the sense of closeness or brotherly bond that Cruise's character needs. The full force of the disease that Raymond's personality is imprisoned within - and Hoffman does successful convey the sense of Raymond's imprisonment within the sphere of his disease - is an escape-proof prison. Although Raymond successfully broke free for a moment because of Charlie, it is an escape without meaning because Raymond cannot break free of the autism that holds him.
In the end, the audiences' love of this film speaks for itself in the audience too. There needed to be a fine line created through Hoffman's creative manipulation of the character in order to allow the timing with Cruise to create the entertainment level for the audience that they needed as moviegoers to laugh without the feeling that they were part of poking fun at a disabled character. Hoffman managed to stay right at that line, without crossing over too far to one side or the other as to cause the audience to abandon the character.
It is perhaps without question that there could not have been a better pairing of two actors with such different and diverse backgrounds and who are separated by not one two generation gaps than Cruise and Hoffman. It is this stark contrast between the two actors and each one's incredible breadth of acting ability that they come together in what is one of the most entertaining performances of all time.
Reference List
Levinson, Barry (dir). 1988, Rain Man, motion picture. United Artists, United States.
