Review of Ordinary People (1980) by Grant S — 21 Mar 2014
Brilliant character-driven drama. Incredibly emotional and psychologically intense. Explores how one event can change the lives within a family, and the repercussions of those changes.
Script is solid but it is Robert Redford's direction that makes the movie. The lingering, haunting looks, the perfect body language of the actors, the pacing. Despite being a movie with little "action", so to speak, mostly dialogue, there is no padding, or drifting. It is never boring, and always very enthralling.
Great performances all round. Nobody puts a foot wrong. Timothy Hutton, in only his second cinema movie, got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, though he was arguably the lead actor in the movie.
Mary Tyler Moore got a Best Actress nomination and Judd Hirsch a best Supporting Actor nomination, and both of these were well-deserved. Moore's performance was probably the standout in the movie, especially as she was predominantly a comedy actress. There was nothing funny about her performance here: its intensity sets the tone for the movie.
Donald Sutherland's performance is no less great, despite the lack of nomination.
Good support from Elizabeth McGovern and Dinah Manoff.
This review of Ordinary People (1980) was written by Grant S on 21 Mar 2014.
Ordinary People has generally received very positive reviews.
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