Review of Ordinary People (1980) by Troy F — 05 May 2013

I've had the theory that certain drama films will appeal to us significantly based on how we relate to them. While a film that I can completely identify with is a lot to ask for (and I don't believe such a film exists that captures my experiences perfectly), I can say that Ordinary People is the closest I've come across.

The film deals with a family slowly falling apart following the aftermath of one of their sons from a boating accident, and I found the dramatic relationships that surround the course of the film to be rather powerful and natural.

The film is simply about social relationships that works, because if it didn't work, if we didn't buy into the characters, the film would be flat out boring with no light. We follow Conrad and how his life is changed around from the aftermath of his brother's death, he's been through treatment, and he's struggling.

He has outbursts, impulses, denials, and its a very real performance from Timothy Hutton that stood out to me like no other. Soon his parents concerns for him and confronting problems start to affect their relationship too.

That's the basis of the film, the irony of the title is that the family are ordinary people, but one big messy turn in your life flips everything upside down and suddenly you lose grasp of what what ordinary and what's just plain wrong with your life.

Suddenly you question your life and everything else, its like it takes a bad turn to reveal the ugly truth to your life. The performances are stellar, and perhaps not having any big name actors (at least not as known these days) to me is what didn't take me out of the film at all, I felt I was introduced to real people in a sort of way, overlooking their story and getting to know them.

While I still feel the need to understand more of the film, I can say I had no problems with it. Ordinary People is absolutely stunning.