History Film / Tootsie

Has nothing to do with the rolls, the pops, or [[TooSoon those guys who got their shit wrecked by the Hutus]].

-->'''Michael:''' [after a beat, frantically trying to cough up an explanation] I'm drawing a blank.
* InsultBackfire: Sandy rants to Michael about Dorothy's role on the show, calling her a "wimp" who does nothing to advance women's perspectives. Since Michael ''is'' Dorothy, he takes the criticism and uses it to alter how he plays her portrayal of Emil.y.

* InsultBackfire: Sandy rants to Michael about Dorothy's role on the show, calling her a "wimp" who does nothing to advance women's perspectives. Since Michael ''is'' Dorothy, he takes the criticism and uses it to alter how he plays her portrayal of Emily.

* OffTheRails: Regularly with Dorothy, much to Ron's indignation, but unfortunately for him, Dorothy's alterations ''work''.

* TheShowMustGoOn: Michael manages to turn his personal secret into a part of the (live-filmed) show, thus forcing the executives to pretend they always knew about it ''and'' giving him a way out of his contract.

'''''Tootsie''''' is a 1982 film starring Creator/DustinHoffman, Sydney Pollack, and Jessica Lange. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 1 (Jessica Lange - Best Supporting Actress), as well as garnering Creator/DustinHoffman a BAFTA and Golden Globe.

The romantic relationships in the film are very convoluted, since the same person is two completely different characters, a fact known only by his roommate. Michael falls in love with Julie (Jessica Lange), one of his co-workers on the show, who knows him only as Dorothy. As the two grow closer, Julie invites Michael (as Dorothy) to spend the holidays with her family, and her father (Charles Durning) ends up falling for Dorothy. Michael, meanwhile, is technically dating his friend Sandy, whom he slept with to avoid telling her his secret when she catches him nearly naked in her bedroom sizing up her clothes. Julie is going out with the film's misogynistic director, Ron (Dabney Coleman); it is through observing this relationship as Dorothy that Michael realizes he's treated Sandy as badly as Ron treats Julie. Dorothy also attracts John Van Horn (George Gaynes), one of the soap's has-been stars, who thinks she's dating Michael's roommate Jeff.

Michael Dorsey (Creator/DustinHoffman) is a struggling actor in New York City who, despite being very talented, can never get work because he's too much of a perfectionist and consequently very difficult to work with. Desperate for money to finance a play written by his roommate Jeff (Creator/BillMurray), Michael goes to his agent (Sydney Pollack, also the director), who tells him that no one in New York will hire him. After taking his friend Sandy (Creator/TeriGarr) to an audition for the part of a female hospital administrator in a soap, he decides to dress in drag and go for the part himself. After at first being told he was too feminine, Michael lands the part (as Dorothy Michaels) and gains immense popularity with the fans.

Michael Dorsey (Creator/DustinHoffman) is a struggling actor in New York City who, despite being very talented, can never get work because he's too much of a perfectionist and consequently very difficult to work with. Desperate for money to finance a play written by his roommate Jeff (Creator/BillMurray), Michael goes to his agent (Sydney Pollack), also the director), who tells him that no one in New York will hire him. After taking his friend Sandy (Creator/TeriGarr) to an audition for the part of a female hospital administrator in a soap, he decides to dress in drag and go for the part himself. After at first being told he was too feminine, Michael lands the part (as Dorothy Michaels) and gains immense popularity with the fans.

'''''Tootsie''''' is a 1982 film starring Creator/DustinHoffman, Creator/SydneyPollack, and Creator/JessicaLange. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 1 (Jessica Lange - Best Supporting Actress), as well as garnering Creator/DustinHoffman a BAFTA and Golden Globe.

Michael Dorsey (Creator/DustinHoffman) is a struggling actor in New York City who, despite being very talented, can never get work because he's too much of a perfectionist and consequently very difficult to work with. Desperate for money to finance a play written by his roommate Jeff (Creator/BillMurray), Michael goes to his agent (Creator/SydneyPollack, also the director), who tells him that no one in New York will hire him. After taking his friend Sandy (Creator/TeriGarr) to an audition for the part of a female hospital administrator in a soap, he decides to dress in drag and go for the part himself. After at first being told he was too feminine, Michael lands the part (as Dorothy Michaels) and gains immense popularity with the fans.

The romantic relationships in the film are very convoluted, since the same person is two completely different characters, a fact known only by his roommate. Michael falls in love with Julie (Creator/JessicaLange), one of his co-workers on the show, who knows him only as Dorothy. As the two grow closer, Julie invites Michael (as Dorothy) to spend the holidays with her family, and her father (Creator/CharlesDurning) ends up falling for Dorothy. Michael, meanwhile, is technically dating his friend Sandy, whom he slept with to avoid telling her his secret when she catches him nearly naked in her bedroom sizing up her clothes. Julie is going out with the film's misogynistic director, Ron (Creator/DabneyColeman); it is through observing this relationship as Dorothy that Michael realizes he's treated Sandy as badly as Ron treats Julie. Dorothy also attracts John Van Horn (Creator/GeorgeGaynes), one of the soap's has-been stars, who thinks she's dating Michael's roommate Jeff.

Michael Dorsey (Creator/DustinHoffman) is a struggling actor in New York City who, despite being very talented, can never get work because he's too much of a perfectionist and consequently very difficult to work with. Desperate for money to finance a play written by his roommate Jeff (Creator/BillMurray), Michael goes to his agent (Creator/SydneyPollack, also the director), who tells him that no one in New York will hire him. After taking his friend Sandy (Creator/TeriGarr) to an audition for the part of a female hospital administrator in a soap, he decides to dress in drag and go for the part himself. After at first being told he was too feminine, Michael lands the part (as Creator/DorothyMichaels) and gains immense popularity with the fans.

* RealitySubtext: Michael Dorsey ''is'' Creator/DustinHoffman. All the insane ways Dorsey gets fired or quits from a production? They ''really'' happened.

'''''Tootsie''''' is a 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman, Sydney Pollack, and Jessica Lange. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 1 (Jessica Lange - Best Supporting Actress), as well as garnering Dustin Hoffman a BAFTA and Golden Globe.

Michael Dorsey (DustinHoffman) is a struggling actor in New York City who, despite being very talented, can never get work because he's too much of a perfectionist and consequently very difficult to work with. Desperate for money to finance a play written by his roommate Jeff (Creator/BillMurray), Michael goes to his agent (Sydney Pollack, also the director), who tells him that no one in New York will hire him. After taking his friend Sandy (Teri Garr) to an audition for the part of a female hospital administrator in a soap, he decides to dress in drag and go for the part himself. After at first being told he was too feminine, Michael lands the part (as Dorothy Michaels) and gains immense popularity with the fans.

The romantic relationships in the film are very convoluted, since the same person is two completely different characters, a fact known only by his roommate. Michael falls in love with Julie (Jessica Lange), one of his co-workers on the show, who knows him only as Dorothy. As the two grow closer, Julie invites Michael (as Dorothy) to spend the holidays with her family, and her father (Charles Durning) ends up falling for Dorothy. Michael, meanwhile, is technically dating his friend Sandy, whom he slept with to avoid telling her his secret when she catches him nearly naked in her bedroom sizing up her clothes. Julie is going out with the film's misogynistic director, Ron (Dabney Coleman); it is through observing this relationship as Dorothy that Michael realizes he's treated Sandy as badly as Ron treats Julie. Dorothy also attracts John Van Horn (GeorgeGaynes), one of the soap's has-been stars, who thinks she's dating Michael's roommate Jeff.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The character of George was written and/or cast with Sydney Pollack, the director, playing the part at Hoffman's suggestion, to incorporate some of the real-life tension between the two of them into the movie itself.
* RealitySubtext: Michael Dorsey ''is'' Dustin Hoffman. All the insane ways Dorsey gets fired or quits from a production? They ''really'' happened.

* TheShowMustGoOn: Michael manages to turn his personal secret into a part of the (live-filmed) show, thus forcing the executives to pretend they always knew about it ''and'' giving him a way out of his contract.
* SoapWithinAShow: During his tenure on ''Southwest General,'' people fall in and out of comas, nurses have passionate affairs with both doctors and patients, and [[McLeaned characters die because the actors asked for more money.]]

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Dorothy Michaels is a very convincing woman (Dustin Hoffman apparently tried her out at his daughter's parent-teacher night and no one suspected) and a good person, fiercely devoted to both acting and those in her life and feeling like she has something to say about being a woman.

* SoapWithinAShow: During his tenure on ''Southwest General,'' people fall in and out of comas, nurses have passionate affairs with both doctors and patients, and characters die because the actors asked for more money.

Michael Dorsey (DustinHoffman) is a struggling actor in New York City who, despite being very talented, can never get work because he's too much of a perfectionist and consequently very difficult to work with. Desperate for money to finance a play written by his roommate Jeff (BillMurray), Michael goes to his agent (Sydney Pollack, also the director), who tells him that no one in New York will hire him. After taking his friend Sandy (Teri Garr) to an audition for the part of a female hospital administrator in a soap, he decides to dress in drag and go for the part himself. After at first being told he was too feminine, Michael lands the part (as Dorothy Michaels) and gains immense popularity with the fans.

** Also, when Dorothy is babysitting Julie's daughter Amy

---> ''Cut to Dorothy running around desperately trying to quiet Amy crying''

* FreudianSlip: "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't give my girls tits? Er, tips. It's tips"

-->'''George''': Michael, no one will hire you

[[caption-width-right:328:Dustin Hoffman + red glitter = awesome]]

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The reveal of Emily Kimberly to be her brother Edward Kimberly on ''Southwest General'' was based on a real plot twist on the soap ''GeneralHospital'', in which the character Sally Armitage was revealed to really be Max Hedges.

* TheReveal: The big reveal for both the fictional soap and the actual movie, when Michael takes off his wig and many of his feminine touches and reveals himself to be a man during a live taping of ''Southwest General''

* SelfDeprecation: Let's just see it's easy to see a lot of Michael's behavior in Dustin Hoffman's career.

* BillMurray: Plays Michael's roommate Jeff, an aspiring playwright. Most of Murray's lines in this film were improvised.
** Murray does improvise most, if not all his dialogue in the films in which he is not the lead.

-->'''George''' : I know that, does HE know that?
-->'''Michael''' : Know WHAT?
-->'''George''' : That, er, I... I don't know.

* ThrowItIn: Most of Bill Murray's dialogue was improvised.

* BillMurray: Plays Michael's roommate Jeff, an aspiring playwright. Most of Murray's lines in this film were improvised.

The romantic relationships in the film are very convoluted, since the same person is two completely different characters, a fact known only by his roommate. Michael falls in love with Julie (Jessica Lange), one of his co-workers on the show, who knows him only as Dorothy. As the two grow closer, Julie invites Michael (as Dorothy) to spend the holidays with her family, and her father (Charles Durning) ends up falling for Dorothy. Michael, meanwhile, is technically dating his friend Sandy, whom he slept with to avoid telling her his secret when she catches him nearly naked in her bedroom sizing up her clothes. Julie is going out with the film's misogynistic director, Ron (Dabney Coleman); it is through observing this relationship as Dorothy that Michael realizes he's treated Sandy as badly as Ron treats Julie. Dorothy also attracts John Van Horn, one of the soap's has-been stars, who thinks she's dating Michael's roommate Jeff.