Tootsie
1982 · Directed by Sydney Pollack
Original language: English
- comedy
- romance
The story
When struggling, out of work actor Michael Dorsey secretly adopts a female alter ego—Dorothy Michaels—in order to land a part in a daytime drama, he unwittingly becomes a feminist icon and ends up in a romantic pickle.
What it’s like
Bright, bustling New York in the early 1980s, with the warm glare of a soundstage soap-opera set against the grainy, lived-in apartments and sidewalks of the city. The look is classic studio-era comedy: even, flattering light, tidy two-shot framing, and rooms that feel crowded with people talking over each other. The soundtrack is a light, breezy jazz score that keeps the mood buoyant, and the dialogue does most of the work, quick and overlapping, with plenty of comic timing. The vibe is wry, warm, and easygoing, the kind of film that suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or a night in with friends. Its pacing is brisk and sociable, its emotional register mostly playful, with a sincere undercurrent about vanity, honesty, and what people really owe one another. The central figure is a proud, stubborn performer gradually learning humility and empathy. Intensity is low: the content is mostly verbal, with some sexual innuendo, mild profanity, and romantic awkwardness, and no violence or gore. It is for people who want a funny, humane comedy with a warm heart and no sharp edges.
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