December 22, 2024

Barry: Attempting to explain Fuchs’ “Rain Man” motivation

Barry has just been so dog-gone clever during its run, with humor so niche and specialized that there have been times where I feel that it’s been produced specifically just for me.

Such as this week’s new episode that featured another doozy of a closing scene (wait until Bill Hader gets a feature film) that is attempting to reinvent the way we’re looking at action sequences.

But for this post, we’re going to talk about “Rain Man”

For the uninitiated, Rain Man is the 1988 Best Picture Winner that starred Tom Cruise as a businessman who is stuck caring for his brother who is an autistic mathematical savant. The two go on a road trip where Cruise has to care for Hoffman through the good times and bad, before ultimately bonding with him and opening a new part of himself as well.

The film is important because Fuchs is watching a scene from Rain Man (with that impressive score) and observes Cruise and Hoffman traveling together.

Fuchs connects the caring relationship between Hoffman and Cruise to himself and Barry, and then immediately alerts the guards of an attempt on Barry’s life, leading to said doozy action scene.

Did you get all that?

What I can’t put together is whether Fuchs saw himself as Tom Cruise. The cool brother. Or Dustin Hoffman the autistic savant. That’s a question for Stephen Root or Bill Hader himself I suppose.

Some other notes…

Goodness, Sarah Goldberg has been so good over the run of this program. Hader gets that camera right in her face and I can see every micro expression of every emotion Sally is having.

Fred Armisen’s cameo was just a joy to observe. It made me want to go back and watch SNL reruns.

I’ll see you next week!

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