Rain Man

Charlie Babbitt, a smooth-talking used car salesman in his mid-twenties, is at a crossroads in his life. Having had his fair share of struggles and setbacks, Charlie is always on the lookout for new opportunities to make a quick buck. His father, a wealthy man, had cut Charlie out of his life years ago, and their relationship has been strained ever since. However, when Charlie learns of his father's sudden passing, he sees this as the perfect chance to reconnect and perhaps even cash in on the inheritance he's left behind. Charlie makes the journey to his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, with a mixture of emotions – part personal, part financial. Upon arriving at the house where his father passed away, Charlie is greeted by his father's lawyer, Vernon who informs him that the majority of the estate, amounting to $3 million, will not be going to Charlie but instead to a group of mentally challenged individuals, headed by one of Charlie's own family members – an autistic savant named Raymond Babbitt. Charlie's jaw drops when he discovers that Raymond had been living in a mental institution, under the care of the Nazis-hunting Brother Sam with his colleague, due to his severe form of autism. Determined to get his hands on his father's inheritance, Charlie comes up with a plan to check Raymond out of the institution, in the hopes of taking him with him to Los Angeles and eventually gaining custody. He is under the assumption that since Raymond has been living in the institution, he must be a minor, and therefore, Charlie can take him to California and obtain guardianship of him. Back East, he also expects that with Raymond as his ward, the estate will pass to him. After a lengthy and somewhat contentious debate, Charlie manages to elude the institution's reluctant administrators, and ultimately convinces them to release Raymond to his custody. The brothers then embark on a transcontinental road trip, from Cincinnati to Los Angeles. Initially, their relationship is tense and awkward as they clash over everything, including their differing backgrounds and worldviews. Throughout their road trip, Charlie, along with Raymond, navigate across the vast expanse of the United States. Charlie's initial intention was for Raymond to prove himself as being incapacitated in order for the estate to pass down to him. However, these intentions are short-lived. What starts as a calculated move evolves into an incredibly transformative relationship between two long-lost brothers, both forever changed by the journey. Raymond's introspective, memory-filled world helps to dispel the ignorance with which Charlie initially approaches the topic of autism, reminding the audience that there often is beauty in the intellect of these highly neurodevelopmental complex brains. The time spent together opens Charlie's eyes and in time opens his heart. Not until the bond formed between Charlie and Raymond allows individuals to connect can significant breakthroughs happen.