Tootsie is a wonderfully told story about Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), a twenty-year down on his luck perfectionist, self serving, struggling actor who is told in no uncertain terms by his agent that he will never work as an actor in either New York City or in Hollywood again. So, Michael decides to dress up as a woman named Dorothy Michaels and auditions for a hit soap opera. He gets the job. Now he must maintain the facade for as long as he is under contract and risk alienating himself from the many friends he must keep the secret from, and the new people he has developed personal relationships with as Dorothy on the set, including his pretty and talented co-star who he has fallen deeply in love with.
Michael Dorsey is a deeply complex character. To quote him, "He busts his ass to get every audition right", but in the process he has become that "difficult actor" that directors don't wish to work with. Michael hasn't worked on a paid acting gig in a couple years, so to make ends meet he teaches an acting class, waiters at a local restaurant, and does free theater. He has celebrated a birthday and seeing himself get older and not achieve the success he thought he would have attained by now has left him feeling inadequate. He is selfish even if he insists that he never does his acting work for the great reviews. His next great venture is to get his roommate's play produced for eight thousand dollars for him and his best friend, Sandy, to star in. Michael is desperate which lends to the credibility that he would go to any lengths to book a gig and make some money. Even so far as to secretly dress up like a woman and work on a soap opera.
The only two people in on Michael's secret are his quirky roommate, Jeff, (Bill Murrary) who prefers people not like his play, but rather question "What happened?", and his overworked agent (Sydney Pollack) who insists that Michael seek some therapy. Sandy (Teri Garr) is an actress and Michael's best friend of six years who has her own deep seeded issues of inadequacy and insecurity. All the while longing for acceptance and insisting she receive her pain and rejection from her male lovers upfront rather than prolong the agony over a period of time. Due to some mitigating circumstances that leaves Michael caught red handed trying on some of Sandy's dresses, he lies and says he wants her sexually and she agrees. Michael never tells Sandy about him dressing up as a woman to work on a soap opera because she was up for the same exact role and was told she wasn't right for it, thus complicating the lies Michael has to make up to not see her because of his busy soap opera schedule.
Dorothy Michaels is Michael's female alter ego. The talented actor that Michael is allows him to portray Dorothy with a sweet southern charm and personality, but the man that Michael is gives Dorothy a male foundation which comes across as a strong, take no nonsense kind of woman who speaks her mind. To the surprise of everyone, including Michael, Dorothy Michaels becomes a huge soap star that receives thousands of fan mail per week. Dorothy's persona positively intrigues Rita, the soap's main executive producer and befuddles Ron (Dabnet Coleman), the show's womanizing director who doesn't understand why Dorothy is not only immune to his charms, but also doesn't like him.
Julie (Jessica Lange) is the talented, gorgeous single mom and the soap opera's biggest star who becomes Dorothy's best friend and confidant. She is dating Ron, much to Michael's dismay, who witnesses how sexist and disrespectful Ron is towards Julie and every woman on set, much like how Michael is in his real life. All Michael/Dorothy can do is be a friend and keep giving good advice to Julie about being a strong woman who stands up for herself, and in the process Michael falls in love with Julie. To further complicate matters, Julie's dad, Les, (Charles Durning) has developed an infatuation with Dorothy after a few meetings together and proposes marriage.
During this entire process, Michael has developed a deep level of guilt at the continuous lies he is forced to commit knowing that the truth of who he is will eventually come out hurting a lot of people who trusted and cared for him. He has also learned that the man he once was wasn't always the nicest or best person to be with especially around women. In a rather fortuitous and desperate attempt at making amends, Michael/Dorothy is forced to perform a soap scene live in front of the camera for the world to see and decides to disrobe and let the truth be known to all that he is not a woman, but in fact a man.
In conclusion, Tootsie is one of those laugh out loud, touching, moving and human films that is easy to connect with and leaves you wanting to know more as the movie progresses. Everyone who got to know and interact with the Dorothy persona has become a better person including Michael. The once sad and selfish character that Michael is in the beginning of the film has become this deeper, likable and more human character by films end. One can't help but feel good that Michael and Julie do wind up together in the end because the Michael of old, one would naturally figure, would have somehow ruined the relationship, while this new humbled and experienced Michael has the great potential to have a long lasting loving relationship with Julie.
Tootsie stands the test of time and continues to be relevant and funny today as it was back when it first premiered in the early 1980's. Highly recommend!!
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