Ted Kramer's wife leaves him, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple's son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.
 
FUN FACT:  The famous ice cream scene, where Billy challenges his father by skipping dinner and going straight for dessert, was completely improvised by Dustin Hoffman and Justin Henry. Writer and director Robert Benton liked the scene so much that he decided to keep it in the film.