Review of Ordinary People (1980) by Scott S — 16 Jun 2009
Ordinary People (1980) -- [10.0] -- The Jarretts used to have two sons, but now they have oneâ?¦ ORDINARY PEOPLE is a gut-wrenchingly powerful drama and one of my top five favorite films of all time.
Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, and Mary Tyler Moore give superb performances as family members struggling to reconnect with one another after the tragic loss of their oldest son. Hutton won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his raw, riveting portrayal of young Conrad Jarrett.
Moore plays his mother, an emotionally unavailable woman barricading herself from further distress by ignoring her familyâ??s problems, even after Conrad tries to take his own life. Sutherland plays the father, the mediator between mother and son, desperately trying to hold his family together.
Judd Hirsch appears as Conradâ??s therapist, a savior shrink who forces Conrad to confront his guilt and fear. Robert Redfordâ??s Oscar-winning direction is elegant and austere. Cataclysmic events need only echo beneath the surface of scenes.
Dinner table small talk becomes heartbreaking. Silence becomes deafening. By the end, not everyone is able to overcome the past, but those left standing are stronger for their effort. Itâ??s realistic and hopeful, and it gets me every time.
ORDINARY PEOPLE is a masterpiece.
This review of Ordinary People (1980) was written by Scott S on 16 Jun 2009.
Ordinary People has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
