Robert Benton dies, Oscar-winning 'Kramer vs. Kramer' director was 92

Robert Benton, the celebrated filmmaker whose name became synonymous with emotionally resonant storytelling and Oscar gold, has died at the age of 92. 

His longtime manager and assistant confirmed to The New York Times that the writer-director passed away on Sunday, May 11, at his home in New York City. 

No cause of death was disclosed—but his cinematic legacy is loud and clear.

Benton’s career was nothing short of a Hollywood masterclass. Most famously, he wrote and directed Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), a film that didn’t just tug at heartstrings—it pulled them like a full-on symphony. 

Starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep in a legal drama that redefined the genre, the film earned Benton not one, but two Academy Awards—for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

But Kramer vs. Kramer was just one star in Benton’s collection of critically acclaimed work. 

His writing talents first made waves with 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, and later with The Late Show (1978)—both of which landed him Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay. 

Then came another win for Places in the Heart (1984).

The late filmmaker also lent his storytelling touch to a wide range of titles over the decades, from There Was a Crooked Man… (1970) to What’s Up, Doc? (1972), Still of the Night (1983), Nobody’s Fool (1994), and Feast of Love (2007), which would become his final film credit. 

He even helped bring a superhero to life, co-writing the screenplay for 1978’s Superman, starring Christopher Reeve.

In a 2003 interview with Box Office Mojo, Benton opened up about how he chose his projects, sharing a refreshingly simple yet sincere approach. 

“Scripts survive a kind of winnowing process, and I reach the point where I enjoy these characters enough to spend two years with them.” 

And for a man who worked with such legendary talent, he still had a few names on his dream list. “I would love to work with [Robert] Duvall and [Adrien] Brody,” he said. “I'd love to work with [Gene] Hackman again. I like Naomi Watts.”

He also wasn’t shy about singing praises for fellow directors. 

“Ermanno Olmi [was] the greatest living director,” he said at the time, and he added, “I love and admire Francis Ford Coppola.”

Beyond the camera, Benton was a husband for six decades, married to artist Sallie Benton until her passing in 2023. He is survived by their son, John Benton.

A storyteller to his core, Robert Benton leaves behind more than a list of film credits—he leaves a collection of stories that shaped cinema, touched lives, and reminded audiences that the best movies aren't just watched, they're felt.