Whenever a man puts on a dress in a Hollywood film, you can be sure there is going to be laughter.

In the 1982 film "Tootsie" Dustin Hoffman puts on a dress, a wig, a pound of make-up and numerous rubberized items to transform himself from Michael Dorsey, out-of-work New York actor, to Dorothy Michaels, the female star of a daytime television soap opera.

There is lots of laughter as he tries to hide his masculine identity from both men and women he works with on the television set — especially when he finds himself in a dressing room or a restroom. Although it's hard to imagine Hoffman turning into an attractive female, through the wonders of theatrical make-up he is transformed enough to draw the attention of several men. The complications arising from these situations are both funny and sad.

Things get really complicated for Hoffman as Dorothy when he finds himself falling in love with one of his co-stars in the soap opera, Julie, played by Jessica Lange. What begins as a mutual friendship between two women sharing life and job experiences, becomes a serious affection that must be hidden if Hoffman as Dorothy wants to keep his acting gig on TV. The humor get doubly bizarre when Julie's nice old father played by Charles Durning makes a pass at the heavily made-up Dorothy.

But, the aim of "Tootsie" is more than humor. The film explores the themes of identity and sexual attraction, gender stereotypes and the need for mutual understanding between men and women. It is a lesson in the old saying, "If you want to know me, walk a mile in my shoes." Through Hoffman's female character, Dorothy, we get to explore serious territory about how thoughtlessly we treat one another, especially when we succumb to generalizations about gender without focusing on the uniqueness of the individual. The complexities of sex and emotion that are explored in the film are so extensive, that it has produced one of the 100 Greatest Movie Lines of all time. At the end of the film speaking as Michael Dorsey, Hoffman says to Julie, the object of his affection, "I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man." If you can believe it, in the context of "Tootsie" that line makes perfect sense!

The film also features great supporting performance by Teri Garr (who we saw in this film series three weeks ago in "Close Encounters") Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, and Sydney Pollack — who also directs the film. Pollack also directed "The Way We Were," a film we saw a month ago in this series.

"Tootsie" was a great success and much admired when it first appeared garnering nine nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Writing and Directing. Jessica Lange was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The script is lively, witty and full of insight into human nature, and after 27 years remains fresh and relevant to modern audiences.

If you go …

Film Facts: Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon; directed by Steven Spielberg in 1977; 137 minutes; rated PG.

When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Where: NAU's Cline Library

ETC.: All films are free and open to the public. Free parking in lot P13.

For More: 523-7800 or www.cal.nau.edu/film