Ordinary People
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Actor: Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsch, M. Emmet Walsh, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy HuttonBrand: SUTHERLAND,DONALD
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
Published: 2001-08-01
DVD Release Date: 2001-08-14
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of Ordinary People
DVD Review: who knew I'd really like a movie from 1980?
Summary: 5 Stars
I've never typed a review before now, although I've greatly benefited in the past from others' comments and analyses. But I just saw "Ordinary People" two days ago, and it's stuck with me like very few movies have before, so I felt compelled to share my two cents. I'm a 26-year-old guy who generally prefers action and suspense movies--I'm a BIG fan of "The Italian Job" and "The Silence of the Lambs." If I saw this movie through a preview or even just an excerpt of it, I'd honestly and most likely disregard it as just another "chick flick," which makes me humbled and outright stunned at the magnitude that this movie resonated with me.
If you're reading this review, then you've probably read (or plan to read) others like it, so I won't dwell on the storyline; here it is in a few sentences: Affluent Chicago suburb. Teenage son clearly bothered/distracted by something, but we don't find out 'til later that it's the premature, accidental death of his older brother. Dad seemed pleasant enough, especially in spite of the tragic circumstances, but mom appeared rather terse and distant. Nobody wanted to disclose their intense montage of emotions, and that created a (partially) irreconcilable rift within the family of three by the conclusion of the movie. The crux of this movie exposed how each family member confronted his/her own emotions.
It may not seem that worthy from my succinct summary, but you can find a brief synopsis of the movie almost anywhere. I'd rather use this space to explain why I found it so memorable.
Simply put, in my humble opinion, the cast presented understandable, everyday characters. With Donald Sutherland as the dad, Mary Tyler Moore as the mom, and Timothy Hutton as the son, you witness an intimate, realistic character study through the superb direction of Robert Redford. Some have said that after 30 years, "Ordinary People" has become just that--ordinary. But I feel that's exactly why I connected with these characters as much as I did. Their complex emotional states resulted from death, something that everybody must face from time to time. While memorable albeit devastating movies exist that discuss the impacts of direct and tangential family calamities like divorce, rape, and incest, I think it can be more difficult to connect with characters in those situations and really feel their pain if one has not experienced it in his/her own life. But all of us are forced to deal with death in some way--grandparents, parents, friends, and in the case of this movie--a sibling/child.
Timothy Hutton's performance as Conrad simply amazed me. I can see why he earned the Oscar for his role in this movie; I found it quite gripping and relatable. He just nailed it. Personally, I have not lost a brother, but I have lost a friend (in a horrific car accident), and I noticed several parallels in his character's personality with my own. He's presumably an introvert who prefers to keep his emotions all bottled up inside because he doesn't want to "bother anybody" or draw attention to himself. We're told further into the movie that he's a smart kid--an 'A' student with at least two extracurricular activities as well--who, in the past, never really needed a parental "kick in the rear" to stay motivated or on track. I suspect that he's a rather independent person who initially thought that since he's been able to figure out his problems before, he can certainly work through this one too. Of course, that's not the case, as evidenced by his recent suicide attempt. But still, that mindset--determining personal boundaries (i.e., knowing when you need help), discerning when personal problems should remain private, handling grief and emotional turmoil--who hasn't had to negotiate these at some point?
He even says to his dad toward the end of the movie: "I wasn't putting out many signals then. I really don't think you could've done anything." Recalling my teenage years, that's exactly how I was! And that, I believe, makes it easier to at least understand the parents' actions.
I'm not a parent, so I found it much easier to connect with Conrad and his journey, but I suppose that if I become one in the future, I'll have a newfound appreciation for the parents' reactions to this death in the family. So many have ripped Mary Tyler Moore's character, and while I agree--she really is terrible at times--to an extent, I also can sort of see her vantage point too. She's just buried one son, and then, in a fit a guilt and desperation, her only other son tried to take his own life?! There are also subtle moments in the movie when she attempted to connect with Conrad (e.g., bringing him a sweater when he's outside), but those simple gestures did not mitigate her loathsome stares and obvious resentment. Donald Sutherland's character's emotional flaw is that he sees what he wants to see. He doesn't want to worry about Conrad because he hasn't had to before the death of his brother; in fact, one wonders if he even knows how to express concern for his son's behavior? With Conrad's withdrawn, isolated demeanor, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for a parent to deal with that in addition to his/her own emotions in wake of tragedy.
If you're still reading this review, then it probably sounds like I've just provided a glorified report for you. But that's really what surprised me the most with this movie: its simplicity. There are no chase scenes, gratuitous violence, or nudity; rather, it's just people interacting with one another. Who knew that this kind of movie could invoke such a lasting effect? And on top of that, one produced in 1980, three years before I was born!
Description of Ordinary People
The \ordinary" existence of an upper middle class family is shattered with the death of the older son and the struggle of the younger son against guilt and suicide.Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 2-MAY-2006
Media Type: DVD"""
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