"Tootsie" (1982)

Rank on AFI's List: #69

WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Only that it was a comedy with Dustin Hoffman dressing up like a woman.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
I never realized just how unoriginal Mrs. Doubtfire was until I watched this movie. While many of the plot points differ between these two films, the comedy is practically the same, but "Tootsie" did it first and, in my opinion, did it very well.

It felt a little slow in the middle, as if the need to move the story along got in the way of the comedy, but the rest of it had me laughing a lot. I wouldn't mind watching this one again.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
In my opinion, comedies are the most debatable films on the AFI List, so it's difficult to answer this question. However, I will give three possible reasons "Tootsie" is considered one of the best films ever made:
1) It's about actors and their struggles of finding work. Since the AFI List is voted on by people in this industry, I'm sure they found this story relatable.
2) "Tootsie" is really a very funny movie and was even nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning one (Jessica Lange, Best Supporting Actress).
3) This list seems to enjoy cross-dressing comedies (such as this one and Some Like it Hot).

Complaints:
1) This movie was a bit formulaic. In fact, while watching practically every scene, I felt like I already had a general idea of what was going to happen in the upcoming scene because a lot of comedies follow a similar formula.
2) It felt very 80's-ish in both style and music.

LET ME SUM UP...
Overall, this is a very funny movie. I laughed quite a bit and had a great time watching it. It seemed a little bit slow in the middle, but the rest of the movie was funny enough to make up for it. And with a story about struggling actors trying to land roles in theatre, TV, and film, it's pretty easy to understand why the members of AFI voted this one of the best movies of all time.

MY RATING: 7/10

TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 65

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