Rain Man Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the film Rain Man, directed by Barry Levinson (1988).

Charlie Babbitt can't believe it! He's looking into the eyes of an older brother he never knew: Raymond "Rain Man" Babbitt. He also can't believe that his father left $3 million to Raymond and nothing but a stinking rosebush and this 1949 Buick Roadster to him. Raymond recognizes the car immediately and says, "I'm an excellent driver!"

Charlie feels cheated out of his share, so he kidnaps Raymond, hoping to gain legal custody over Raymond and his money. During a cross-country trip, Charlie gets an up close and personal look into his brother's autistic world. Raymond has almost super human intellect, few life skills, and an obsession with Kmart boxer shorts and cheese balls.

He also repeats himself a lot, reciting the famous Abbott and Costello "Who's on first?" routine and the "I'm an excellent driver!" line five more times. Since then, the quote has become a famous running gag. Hoffman and Cruise even had their own running gag during production. They thought that the film was headed for flopdom, so they nicknamed it "Two Schmucks in a Car."

Where you've heard it

Your friend just got their driver's license and this line is the first thing out of their mouth. Let's just hope they also paid attention in driver safety class.

Additional Notable References:

• Meet the real Rain Man. Excellent driving isn't just for humans.
• It obviously isn't just for adults either.
• Speaking of your driving, you could proudly display this humble bumper sticker on your ride.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Remember, Raymond only drove down a driveway on Saturdays… never on Mondays. So unless you've competed in the Indy 500, you have no bragging rights behind the wheel. And remember, mayhem lurks on every highway.