On a Roll

TTHREE CHEERS for Dustin Hoffman who's done what most cynical middle-class Americans who think they've seen everything already thought Hoffman wouldn't be able to pull off without being offensive, stereotypical, or stupid. In his triple-layered performance in Tootsie. Hoffman seems unreproachable for his portrayal of a New York City actor who becomes a woman actor in order to play a female star in a television soap opera Hoffman doesn't need to fill his portrayal of the struggling actor Michael Dorsey with homosexual innuendos or explicit feminine gestures. The comedy-of-errors resulting from Dorsey's efforts to become a woman without letting anybody know is hilarious by itself.

The various facets involved in Hoffman's performance are as founding Under layer number one he plays Dorsey a neurotic actor quickly approaching middle age. We see the tension that propels the desperate Dorsey through all his relationships. Unwilling to conform to other people's ideas, he can't take criticism and rubs his colleagues and friends the wrong way Hoffman shows Dorsey's brittle talent in every detailed highly taut motion. Basically a failure, Dorsey frantically waits tables, instructs a fledgling group of actors, and fights with an agent who can get him any acting stints. Yet glittering of charm he behind the rigid actor as he goes throughout his hectic existence.

When Dorsey girl friend Sands fails despite his intensive coaching to get a role in a soap opera, he becomes the character actress Dorothy Michael and auditions for the job. In this Second role Hoffman is hysterical as he gradually adopts feminine mannerisms as well as dress. His heavy make up, button hair do, fitted dresses and suits and high pitched Southern accent make Michaels a plausible character. We see Dorsey's influence on the character as he lumbles about perfecting every little thing about Michales' actions, her speech patterns, and her personality. Just her delightful flippant hand motions are enough to reveal how much effort Dorsey and Hoffman put into her character.

Michaels takes on a lifestyle of her own as she hands the job as Emily Kimberly, the hospital administrator in the hit soap opera "Southwest General" Michael confronts the pressures of daytime drama the dreadful scripts, the melodramatic actors and she flourishes Michaels becomes a successful version of Dorsey as she impresses lines and often change the soaps plot. She even become close friend with the femme nurse of the soap opera an actress named Julie. The two become close friends and even Julie's father falls in love with Tootsie (the nickname given Michaels by the obnoxious director.

DORSEY'S ROLE as Emily Kimberly is the third layer of Hoffman's complex acting performance. Kimberly ironically becomes the voice of middle-aged women fed up with sexual harassment and lecherous men. Hoffman's Kimberly is prim and proper and stylizes her precise movements on the set. She's the piece-de-resistance of Hoffman's characterizations. Although Kimberly is the character most susceptible to a flat stereotypic portrayal. Hoffman makes her as three dimensional as a soap opera character can be, with emotionally delivered and original monologues.

Each layer within Hoffman's performance reveals his versatility as an actor--each character faces its own dilemma without losing its distinctiveness and individual appeal. The screenplay enables Hoffman to develop three different characters all within the confines of one non-burlesque plot. (Hoffman was a major writer.)

And all the external characters complement Dorsey, Michaels, and Kimberly enabling the other actors to perform superbly Teri Garr as Dorsey's spacey girl friend is consistently funny as she tries to hold onto Dorsey as a lover and an acting coach. Her wide eyed facial expressions belie her confusions with Dorsey's unusual actions as he tries to conceal his life in drag. Bill Murray as Dorsey's bemused play wright of a roommate gives a witty performance with his occasional wry comments. Murray remains detached throughout the movie as his character tries to humor Dorsey. Rumor has it that Murray improvised his lines, but regardless of their origin his cryptic remarks are an interesting foil to his usual role as a blatantly funny guy.

George Gaynes as the incompetent actor playing the doctor in "Southwest General" is outrageously funny. His role as the soap's lecher amusingly extends to his real life as he tries to reduce Tootsie And Charles Durning as Julie's father who falls in love with Dorothy gives an equally effective performance although his emotions are much more low key and subtle. His courtship of Dorothy is believable as we see his affections for her develop. And we empathize with his distress at finding out that Dorothy is only a man in disguise.

HOFFMAN IS SO CONVINCING as Dorothy that the fact that two men fall in love with him isn't disgusting but rather hilarious because Dorsey in turn--has fallen in love with Julie, who thinks he is a women Jessica Lange's Julie is unassuming and she links all three of Hottman,s characters. As the nurse in the soap opera. Tootsie's best friend and the woman Dorsey loves. She is kind, beautiful and pliable. In a quietly seductive was she draws out Dorsey's actions Dorsey's weekend at juhe's father's country farm epitomizes Hottman,s own character mastery. He balances Dotsey and Dorothy as and Julie have intimate girl talk while Dorsey's desire summers. All the various thoughts going through Dorsey's head are revealed through his attempts at controlling his desire with his attire and movements.

The movie's climax--when Emily Kimberly alias Dorothy Michaels alias Michael Dorsey reveals his identity--is one of the most perfectly constructed film sequences. All three characters finally merge and Hoffman triumphs as we witness his dexterity in wielding the various personalities. The energy he put into this performance and the resulting masterpiece drown out all accusations of high salaries for temperamental superstars. Because in this case this superstar's performance is so priceless that perhaps only an Oscar can be the final reward.