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Product Description
A suburban chicago couple and their son are torn by another sons death. Oscars for best picture. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/23/2006 Starring: Donald Sutherland Mary Tyler Moore Run time: 124 minutes Rating: R Director: Robert Redford
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Robert Redford made his Oscar-winning directorial debut with this highly acclaimed, poignantly observant drama (based on the novel by Judith Guest) about a well-to-do family's painful adjustment to tragedy. Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland play a seemingly happy couple who lose the older of their two sons to a boating accident; Timothy Hutton plays the surviving teenage son, who blames himself for his brother's death and has attempted suicide to end his pain. They live in a meticulously kept home in an affluent Chicago suburb, never allowing themselves to speak openly of the grief that threatens to tear them apart. Only when the son begins to see a psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch) does the veneer of denial begin to crack, and Ordinary People thenceforth directly examines the broken family ties and the complexity of repressed emotions that have festered under the pretense of coping. Superior performances and an Oscar-winning script by Alvin Sargent make this one of the most uncompromising dramas ever made about the psychology of dysfunctional families. There are moments--particularly related to Mary Tyler Moore's anguished performance as a woman incapable of expressing her deepest emotions--when this film is both intensely involving and heartbreakingly real. No matter how happy and healthy your upbringing was, there's something in this excellent film that everyone can relate to. --Jeff Shannon
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 A True Classic, 2008-12-02
I don't usually buy movies but this one I bought.
I've seen this movie several times over the years and never got tired of it. The story is heartbreaking, and the acting is among the best ever. As another reviewer wrote, this movie deserved all the Oscars it received.
I believe this movie will always hold up through time because when tragedy strikes in families, oftentimes the true character, whether good or bad, of some people who are going through such grief comes out, as this movie shows.
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
 Whiny, 2008-10-01
Like watching a bunch of 4-year-olds throwing temper tantrums about early bedtimes. The main characters in this film spend their time either sulking petulantly or delivering semi-coherent, self-indulgent speeches.
The movie is nonetheless well-shot, with some superb scoring to Pachelbel's Canon. Indeed, the opening montage, in which scenery shots dissolve to the choir performing, is great. It also gives interesting insight into its era. But Ice Storm revisited that kind of material with less emoting, as did Stand By Me. If this movie had been cut by an hour, with the talking/whining elided, it could have been great.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
one of the great all-time films, 2008-07-31
in an age of faster and bigger is necessarily better, Ordinary People is a quiet gem that builds in power with each scene. Redford is not afraid to set the camera down and let the characters speaks for themselves. Knockout performances from everyone, but Donald Sutherland's emotionally fearful father is beautiful. A film that takes real life and turns it into art.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent movie still!!!, 2008-04-20
whenever I am asked what is my favortie movie I would always answer "Ordinary People".....for years no one could find it. Even my friend that can find anything couldn't find it...I am so glad you had it.
this is a great movie about FAMILY and how they deal or in the case of mom do not deal with tragic life moments. Rated R back in the '80's would probably get a PG13 today.
disturbing on some levels if you have been through or are going through similar situtations
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Extraordinary Performances, 2008-04-15
Every family isn't perfect, and has its issues. Some families have scars and pain that threaten to destroy them, like the family in this film: three ordinary people.
I had never seen Ordinary People until recently. I was a teen when it appeared in movie theaters. The film got Academy Awards for Director (Robert Redford, his first directing venture), Adapted Screenplay (Alvin Sargent), and Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton). Mary Tyler Moore was nominated as Best Actress for her very solid performance as the complex and flawed Beth Jarrett. Judd Hirsch got a nod for Supporting Actor.
What strikes me about this film is that it is brimming over with tension.
Wife and mother Beth maintains her well adjusted appearance at all costs, even if it means alienating her immediate family. She has swept her pain and grief under the rug. Wound up very tightly like a perfect bow on a gift, she is chiefly concerned with keeping up appearances and a life that seems normal and content. She shuns the truth and emotions. Vacations and golf help her stay numb and distracted. Her husband Calvin knows that things are not right, but will not admit it to himself. He is in denial about his family, and about how he truly feels.
The film's core is teenaged son Conrad; he is eaten up by his massive guilt over a family tragedy. Normally it should be the best time of his life. But he is a walking open sore, a raw nerve. Beth and Conrad are both repressed in many ways. She keeps a frosty distance from him, not even showing her child affection of any kind. He loses the friendship of his best buddy in school because of his angst and antisocial tendencies. Ironically, a good friend is the one thing that Conrad desperately needs at the moment, although he doesn't realize it. He refuses to reach out to others to help him endure the immense pain and conflict. There is heavy dysfunction in this family.
Every performance is exceptional among the four main characters. But I believe the most interesting has to be Mary Tyler Moore's role. It is not easy to convey what her character is about. She has to walk a thin line between mother and monster. This is not a big, showy role. Far from it. There are so many subtle qualities and nuances to the character. Everything Moore does is spot on: body language, posture, expressions. It must have been a real challenge for this actress, after years of playing perky Mary Richards in a sitcom on TV. She really showed her acting chops here in Ordinary People.
I must confess that throughout this film I felt a growing hatred for the character of Beth. But then I realize that she has gone through hell and just doesn't know how to cope any longer. She is a sad soul, and the worst part is that her life seems so normal from the outside... but inside she has died a bit. And it's damage that can't be undone.
This is such a simple movie but it is so powerful. It's a very realistic portrayal of a family that's crumbling. If you like good drama and haven't seen this, it's well worth viewing.
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