I know, I know... that's a pretty heavy question. But I think that it is certainly one of his five best, and I would be more than willing to go out on a limb and say it is his very best work to have not received any award recognition.
What say you?
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Hoffman is very good in this movie. Interestingly enough I read many years ago (unfortunately I've forgotten where) that he wasn't happy with this movie - and another 'Agatha' made around the same time - as he felt he had insufficient creative input during production. I think there may even have been legal action of some kind between Hoffman and the producers. Perhaps this explains why Straight Time and Agatha have yet to be released on DVD?
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If not his best, certainly one of his best. Obviously under-rated. He should have been nominated for an Oscar. His Oscar-nominated performances in The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Lenny and Tootsie were outstanding, and his wins for Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man were deserved. But Hoffman was equally superb in Straw Dogs, All The President's Men and Straight Time. Quite possibly, Hoffman has the greatest track record of any actor.
What's great about Straight Time is Hoffman shows us another side of his talent, a very dark side. When the film starts out, we sympathize with his character, because he's put-upon by the parole officer, and we carry memories of other Hoffman films. But as Straight Time plays out, we realize that Max Dembo is not such a nice guy after all, and Hoffman doesn't try to make him lovable.
Hoffman is so versatile -- he followed up this film with Kramer vs. Kramer, in which he played a self-absorbed yuppie in Manhattan. Watch Straight Time and Kramer back to back to see how talented Hoffman really is.
But as Straight Time plays out, we realize that Max Dembo is not such a nice guy after all, and Hoffman doesn't try to make him lovable.
Sadly, I have not yet had the opportunity to see this movie myself, but I am a dedicated fan of the author of the book that Straight Time is based upon, Edward Bunker's No Beast So Fierce from 1975. Of what I've read, Hoffman receives great acclaim for his character interpretation in a role prototyping the author of the book. Another movie based upon one of Edward Bunkers books is The Animal Factory http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204137/.
Amongst other things, he also played Mr. Blue in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, was co-writer on Runaway Train, and has cameos in many movies (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0120483/).
In an afterword in Edward Bunkers book Little Boy Blue (1981), Charles Waring writes about Straight Time, that Hoffman first received the rights to direct and to supervise the final cut from First Artists, then they went back on the promise and cut the movie in such a manner themselves that Hoffman sued for damages. Sadly, there's not much more info on the fact.
http://ztatic.net
Of his Oscar nominated performances I believe that his first win should have been for Lenny in 1974; Art Carney won for Harry and Tonto and was good but it wasn't an especially difficult role to take on.
There are two films that I always cringe at the fact that he was snubbed of a nomination. The first being 1970's Little Big Man for which Ryan O'Neal managed to get a nomination for his sub-par performance in Love Story. The second would have to be Straight Time. 1978 was a year of great performances and it's understandable why the Academy snubbed him - it's not a very upbeat performance for sure. Still it's one of his best and totally deserved a nomination
I think its Hoffman's best role, along with Gary Busey's and Emmet walsh's to boot. This is a really overlooked gem, one of the most realistic films ever made. It plays out more like a documentary than a film. By the way, I watched the film last night, turned off the VCR and the news ticker at the bottom of CNN announced that Eddie Bunker had just died. A coincidence, but sad all the same.
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I often think of Dustin as the 'poor relation' out of Pacino and De Niro, but Dustin's best work is at least as good as theirs, if not better. Straight Time is one of his finest roles. If you think that he is just a little guy yet the menace he projects in this whole film, makes him seeem bigger, more threatening and he is therefore fantastic and compelling. You certainly wouldn't want to mess with his character in real life. I have read the book too. I think this is now out on DVD?
Papillon and Midnight Cowboy amongst his finest performances too.
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i think it's if not his best very close to his best. a good movie too. the entire cast is excellent.
shareDustin has said many times that he is most proud of his work in this film than anyother.
shareI haven't seen this movie but i am very interested in buying it. The problem is that i can't seem to find it anywhere. I think Marathon Man is the best perfomance Dustin Hoffman has produced.
shareThis is definately Hoffman's most overlooked performance.
shareWhere was his Oscar nomination?! I think he should have won for this over Kramer vs Kramer!
shareI'm not going to argue with that.
shareThis IS his best, hands down, the only film role close to this was Rain Man.
sharegreat great performance by hoffman, very good, as well as the performance of theresa russell.
shareAaaaahhh, Theresa Russell... thank you for reminding me of the woman who became my number one adolescent fantasy after seeing 'Black Widow'. Yes, she was terrific in Straight Time -- as she was in all her films right up until about ten years ago or so, after which her acting ... became ... so ... freaking ... MANNERED!
To me Hoffman has been the definition of the best character actor that has been. In due light i would suggest his 'Razzo' in MIDNIGHT COWBOY is probably his personal best and breakout role. I mean, performances and roles like that only come once in a lifetime where a basically 'unknown' is discovered.
Xavier
As I mentioned on the MIDNIGHT COWBOY, board, I would place STRAIGHT TIME ono the list of the top five Hoffman performances, along with KRAMER VS KRAMER, MIDNGHT COWBOY, RAIN MAN, and TOOTSIE.
shareNobody ever mentions Lenny as being one of Hoffman's finest performances. Straight Time is my second favorite next to that.
shareThank you for reminding me about LENNY. I don't know why that film always slips my mind when the subject of Hoffman comes up, but it does, and yes, that was another brilliant performance that definitely knocks TOOTSIE out of my top five.
shareI think both "Straight Time" and "Straw Dogs" contain two of the best performances ever by Dustin Hoffman, mainly because both parts show a darker, more violent and disturbing side of Mr. Hoffman. I greatly admire Hoffman's remarkable courage and refreshing lack of ego in both films; only a truly great and fearless actor would play both parts in such a fiercely unsentimental warts'n'all manner.
sharei thought it was pretty damn good.
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