Afos, Jan Aldrin E.

Learning Exercise # 2 (Watch The Rain Man)

A.) Summary

-This movie is about a man named Charlie Babbit who owns a car dealing
business. He is quite an eccentric and cynical man who one might even call as selfish and
materialistic but as the story goes, we soon find out why. The film starts by portraying
that his car business is in rough waters and is in the verge of bankruptcy. As Charlie was
about to lose hope, he receives a phone call bearing news which he thought would solve
all his financial dilemmas; his father died.

Expecting an inheritance, Charlie swiftly went to the funeral rites of his father
with his girlfriend Susanna and had a meeting with the lawyer of his father. His euphoria
and hopes of saving his business however was short lived. As the lawyer finished reading
the will made by his father, he found out that most of the estate left by his deceased dad
will not go to him but will be held in trust by a beneficiary he has yet to know about. And
all he got out of the will was an old and used car his father used to own. He burst in anger
and frustration and soon after using his cunning skills, was able to trace the beneficiary
and he found out that he actually has a brother. In a twisted and unexpected turn of
events, he found himself in an institution which takes care of a mentally disabled group
of people of which his brother Raymond Babbit belonged.

He soon met the friend of his father who was in charge of taking care of his
autistic brother and tried to talk to him about surrendering what he thought was his “fair
share” of the inheritance but failed to make ends meet. He then resorted to unorthodox
means namely kidnapping his brother from the institution and taking him on a cross
country road trip.

A lot of things happened during this trip but the most important thing that
happened was that he was able to bond with his brother and realize that he loves him.
Soon he gave up trying to get the money and just wanted to take care of his brother. But
the doctors of his brother won’t let him. The story ends with the cliché ending of
Raymond getting into the train and waving goodbye to his beloved brother.

B.) Why is the movie entitled Rain Man?

-This is connected to the climax of the movie where Charlie realizes that he knew
Raymond. His memory only a little bit blurry because he was only 3 years old then. He
used to think that he had an imaginary friend called “Rain Man” who he bonded with
when he was a baby. He soon finds out that Rain Man is actually Raymond whose name
he couldn’t pronounce right so it became Rain Man. Raymond had to be sent away
because he accidentally burned baby Charlie.
C.) What succession concepts were illustrated in the film? Describe the scenes which are
succession-related?

-The concept of willed succession was illustrated. The father of Charlie and
Raymond, although not a very good dad, was rich and thus left an estate worth 3 Million
dollars to his heir Raymond and a white sports car to his other heir, the prodigal Charlie.

The concept of compulsory heirs was also somewhat presented. Both Charlie and
Raymond are compulsory heirs and yet Charlie, assuming that we would follow
Philippine laws, would have been impaired of his right as a legal or compulsory heir as he
did not get the aliquot part of the inheritance required by law.

Also, the concept of an executor was likewise presented in the form of the lawyer
of his father.

D.) Granting that the succession-related situations/scenes in the movie happened in the
Philippines, are there deviations from our law? Describe said situation/scene and
explain how it deviated from our law.

The will executed by the father of Charlie and Raymond would not have been
approved here in the Philippines. Under our laws particularly the New Civil Code, the
rights of compulsory heirs are protected. In the movie The Rain Man, Charlie is a
compulsory heir yet he only received a car which is not in consonance with what is
required under our laws. He should have gotten if not the minimum, equal part of the
estate as his brother Raymond.

E.) Other reflections

This movie honestly touched me deeply. It made me appreciate my siblings more

and made me realize the value of family over material gain. The Rain Man taught me that
love is truly inexplicable and the value of which can never be measured by pecuniary
estimation.