Rain Man

Rain Man is a 1988 film which tells the story of a selfish yuppie named Charlie Babbitt who discovers that his father has left all of his estate to an autistic half brother Charlie Babbitt never knew he had. It stars Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman as his brother Raymond, and Valeria Golino as Charlie's girlfriend Susanna.

Slang uses

Although it has not entered the mainstream full-fledged, several slang uses of "Rain Man"—all derogatory—have emerged since the release of the film:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• In one use, the term is applied to demean someone, usually after a faux pas. The person is not necessarily autistic but may be socially awkward, is "slow" (but not always mentally handicapped), lack accepted social graces... or they may be perfectly normal.
• This term can also be used to accuse a person who does not suffer from a neurological disorder of being a social engineer (one who uses social skills to get his/her way or obtain information—often, computer security or credit card information—he/she is not entitled to) and then getting his/her way. This refers to Raymond's behavior after something does not go his way (e.g., crying when he almost doesn't get to see The People's Court), Charlie and/or others resisting and then giving in.

Many experts on the subject of autism have questioned the realism of "Rain Man". The main point raised is that nobody with an autistic spectrum disorder would display all the traits of the condition, as was the case with Raymond Babbitt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~