Actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), desperate for work, dresses up as a woman to win a part on a soap opera. I haven't seen this in years and thought it held up very well -- a really interesting take on actors, acting, and the nature of performance. Conversely, Sally Jane Black's review at Letterboxd is a pretty fair representation of a modern response taking issue with its "misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia". I think that review goes too far, but there's enough in the film that feels troubling to make it a harder watch now.
Lists
- ranked 2 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs
- ranked 17 in WGA 101 Greatest Screenplays
- ranked 62 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies
- ranked 75 in Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time
- ranked 168 in Empire 500 Greatest Movies (2008)
- one of 100 Of Edgar Wright's Favourite Comedies
- one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs Nominees
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies Nominees
- one of Alliance of Women Film Journalists Top 100 Films
- one of The New York Times Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made
- one of The Last Laugh: The Observer's 50 Funniest Comedies
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies, 10th Anniversary Edition