Review of Ordinary People (1980) by Andy S — 10 Jan 2019

I think it's genius the beginning scene, how all these people are entertained by this play that's going on and it's about this couple that seem to be getting along and humoring one another and the audience is laughing. I think it's genius because it's ironic. All these people watching the couple interact as if life were one big sitcom and then they're real lives are probably one big mess. It's the very thing that everyone wished they had in a relationship. And the icing on the cake is Donald Sutherland's character finds it so boring and not amusing that he's sleeping throughout the play.

There's this almost impalpable feeling in the air during this movie that anytime Conrad could kill himself or something awful will happen to him. There's a certain tension throughout. Depression and uncertainty are a really dangerous combination and this movie does a great job at highlighting that. You can clearly see that the main problem comes from the mother and how distant she is. You can tell that her first son's passing away really affected her. It's like she's trying to ignore what's really going on without really confronting what she's really feeling.

It's interesting to see how the characters interact with one another. especially in the scene where Conrad scares his mom when he gets home and she's in the room of her deceased son. The acting is phenomenal because you get to see just how awkward and socially inadequate the other and son relationship is. It seems like Jared just wished his parents, especially his mom, would just show him some love.

It's almost painful to watch how much Conrad is trying to make an effort to connect with his mom but she's just so distant and almost brushes everything to the side. Things start to lighten up once Jeanine comes into the picture. It's really interesting to see how as everyone starts going to the psychiatrist, they start to figure out there problems. I really like Dr. Berger's way of how he approaches helping people. It's as if he talks to them like they were friends. All the guys are getting there problems dealt with when it's really Beth, the mother, who needs it the most. It's almost like she goes through life and the way she communicates is like the play that they were watching at the beginning, almost like a sitcom.

Wow, you imagine feeling guilty of your brother's death. That would eat up anyone on the inside. Wow, Beth really pissed me off even in the end. One of the most realest movies I've seen in a while. It didn't even have that happy of an ending. I really hope Beth learns something along with her departure, that emotionless bitch.

This movie did a brilliant job at storytelling, really great writing from whoever wrote it. It's a very real take on something that I feel everyone goes through which is what makes it such a great movie, everyone can relate to it.

Really really brilliant movie with phenomenal acting!