cinemajesty Film Review: "Ordinary People" (1980)Based on a best-selling novel by Judith Guest, firstly published in 1976, then optioned by producer Ronald L. Schwary with an exclusive "Paramount Pictures" distribution deal, when actor turns to Academy-Award-winning directions by Robert Redford, with an immensely eye for character close-up and details in beat acting, sends his cast into a storm of emotions, where the center-theme between a relentless mother character, icely-cold as bare-to-the-bone, cleanly-sweeped portrayal by actress Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017), who will not forgive her younger on-screen son Conrad, featuring heart-breaking Acdemy-Awarded constant-beating scene work from 18-year-old actor Timothy Hutton, whose character mentally suffers "The Impeccable" due to an inter-familiar-conviction for an accidently-committed death of the mother's first-born favorited son in a yachting boat trip, skillfully intercut within psychiatrist-chamber session alongside Academy-Award-nominated Judd Hirsch, when the only stability to a fulminate simplistic story-line on a mother preparing to leave the past and family life behind in this "Best Picture" Academy-Award winner, ruling-out visionary late black-and-white cinematic masterworks as medical-drama "The Elephant Man" directed by David Lynch and "Raging Bull" directed by Martin Scorsese, when Robert Redford's brutally-honest picture gets conceived to all-around conventional establishments agreed on March 31st 1981 at the Oscars in its 53rd Edition."Ordinary People" is a tense drama on the human condition, when the only likable character comes along with solidly-life-excepting manner playing supreme actor Donald Sutherland, whose portrayal of a loving father standing by family members in crisis, no-matter-what, does not need any public recognition to an extent that some family conditions are bound, if not to say, must break to be one's solely-full-comitted self in a forever scared lively environment, which is not mend to heal but simply to be comprehended by the person next to you.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

dougdoepke Though nothing much happens for 2-hours, I was still engaged with the crumbling family unit the whole way. Paradoxically, when it was over, I wasn't sure what it was all about. Quite a triumph for the crew to convert such outwardly tame material into a compelling result. Not once, I think, does the drama descend into soap opera, a temptation given the material. Still, I do think some tighter editing wouldn't have harmed the overall result.Looks to me like the film's about Mom (Moore) and Dad (Sutherland) living in their own little pretend worlds. Dad's enjoying his upper class life, protecting it by believing everything's alright at home regardless of reality. Mom's more complex. Looks like she stifles her feelings by putting on a deadpan mask. Clearly though, she favored older son Buck. So, once tragedy strikes and older boy Buck drowns, younger brother Conrad gets no help from them when he blames himself for Buck's death. In short, parenting flaws that had not been critical before Conrad's trauma, suddenly become critical afterwards, leaving the surviving son in a floundering, self-destructive state. Importantly, the family's prosperous, so the problems come partially from prosperity and not from poverty. The youthful Hutton richly deserved his Oscar. In years of movie watching, his ravaged teenage emotions are as realistic as any I've seen. And that's without overplaying. Perhaps a James Dean Award is in order. But is that really MTM. I can't believe it. Her sunshine has been traded for a lemon drop. Still, she shows her acting chops in a persuasive way. Anyway, if you like family drama, this fairly subtle entry is worth catching up with.

FilmBuff1994 Ordinary People is a good movie with a well developed plot and a great cast. It is a very moving film as we follow a young boy struggling to coup with the loss of his older brother. It has some very hard hitting moments, and certainly does not beat around the bushes in terms of depression, the cast is all around impressive, the highlights certainly being Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore for me, who are both very convincing as a troubled couple who are trying to keep their son safe, while managing their own personal traumas. I did find the film to be very preachy on the subject of mental health, it was really shoving information on how to coup with it and maintaining a healthy one. There were times where the dialogue felt more like a theatre in education piece rather than two real humans having a proper, wholesome conversation. While it is one of the most vital parts of the movie, I found the scenes between Timothy Hutton and Judd Hirsch to be very poor. There was a complete lack of chemistry between them and Hirsch seemed very out of place in this therapist role. All of their sessions together seemed like Hutton was trying to give all he could, with Hirsch giving nothing back in return, he is a far better comedic actor. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I do not think it deserves the praise it has received, there are far better films with less Oscars. Not without its flaws, Ordinary People is still an impressive directorial debut from Robert Redford, I would recommend it if you are looking for a good drama, just do not go out of your way to see it. A young boy struggles to coup with his mundane life following the death of his older brother. Best Performance: Donald Sutherland / Worst Performance: Judd Hirsch

Prismark10 Ordinary People is an ironic title. The main players are far from ordinary, suffering a trauma of the death of the eldest child in a sailing accident. They also are what could be termed middle class, even upper middle class but not ordinary.Ordinary People was the directorial debut of superstar actor Robert Redford who makes a small, intimate, unflashy picture with his main strengths being the acting from its cast.Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) feels guilty about his brother's death because he survived the incident and Buck did not. He attempts to commit suicide which has led to an extended stay in hospital.Returning home he is trying to rebuild his life. His father Cal (Donald Sutherland) is understanding, patient and wants him to continue his recovery by seeing a psychiatrist. His mother Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) loved her eldest son but seems cold and distant when it comes to Conrad. She wants life to carry on as before and for Conrad to get over it. Conrad arranges to see Dr Berger (Judd Hirsch) who helps Conrad and in due course even his father also goes to see Dr Berger as well.At the time the subject matter was not something that was intelligently dealt with in mainstream movies. Now it is a common television of the week subject matter.The film delves into Conrad's psyche. A precocious teenager who is lost. One friend he knew from hospital and who seems to be pulling through later dies. Eventually it is Dr Berger who gets through to him and it is his father's understanding he comes to appreciate.The film also examines Cal and Beth. Parents who have lost a child, nearly lost another and their differing ways in dealing with this. Redford confounds the audience by making the mother brittle and aloof. Tyler-Moore known for comedies pulls out a character that is all too real. She is a strong and determined woman and yet behind it all hiding her pain, putting a brave face to the world and wondering why the others could not do the same. She was nominated for a best actress Oscar.Sutherland failed to be nominated for his perceptive and kind father, he provides the warmth that Conrad needs and he also realises at the end that he and Beth are over.Ordinary People won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director for Redford. It beat the more flashy and controversial Raging Bull which came to be regarded as the best film of the 1980s. Timothy Hutton who had the lion's share of the film won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. A cynical move to shield him from the Best Actor category as the producers knew he would be no match that year from the Robert De Niro avalanche.Ordinary People is an examination of middle class mores and middle class life in crisis in late 1970s/early 1980s America.