Review of Ordinary People (1980) by Raji K — 27 Feb 2016
It is impossible to talk about Ordinary People without mentioning Raging Bull. Robert Redford's directorial debut infamously beat Martin Scorsese's boxing epic at the 1980 Oscars, forever cementing it's place on lists of most "undeserving" Oscar winners.
But to this is very unfair. Ordinary People is a gripping drama about a family dealing with the death of it's eldest son. The primary focus is on younger son Conrad (played by Timothy Hutton, who also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year), and also stars Donald Sutherland as the father.
But the real standout here is Mary Tyler Moore as the mother. Moore was primarily known for her comedic roles, but here she proves that she can not only handle drama, but excels. Is it as good as Raging Bull? No, but very few films are as good as Raging Bull.
Does Ordinary People deserve it's reputation as an undeserving Best Picture? Definitely not.
This review of Ordinary People (1980) was written by Raji K on 27 Feb 2016.
Ordinary People has generally received very positive reviews.
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