Ordinary People (1980)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  Of all films that must be seen from the very beginning, ORDINARY PEOPLE is the most crucial example. The film starts out with a simplistic title sequence, with plain white lettering against a black backdrop. Think of a Woody Allen title sequence, except silent, slow, and dramatic.… More
  Of all films that must be seen from the very beginning, ORDINARY PEOPLE is the most crucial example. The film starts out with a simplistic title sequence, with plain white lettering against a black backdrop. Think of a Woody Allen title sequence, except silent, slow, and dramatic. Gradually, the black backdrop begins to fade into a brighter introduction to the setting, a typical neighborhood. We hear Pachelbel's "Canon" as our background music, and we understand the mood immediately without even a hint of plot being yet provided. If those two starting minutes cannot feed you the pure solemnity of this film, nothing else will. What is most "extraordinary" about ORDINARY PEOPLE is what an achievement this was. Robert Redford made his directorial debut with this film in 1980, after working as an actor, and he managed to clean up with the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing. Timothy Hutton cannot be forgotten either: his performance as the lead teen may have only earned him the statuette for Best Supporting Actor (he really had a main role), but he is what makes this feel like a more dramatic John Hughes flick. His character is foul-mouthed, disrespectful, but given his situation, agreeable. If a performer can carry an entire film as an adult, plus a well-experienced filmmaker, that's one thing. If an actor portraying a teen can portray a film alongside someone who is brand-new behind the camera, that is something thirty times more authentic. A true must-see for anyone and everyone.

• Mike S

  
  Deeply involving family drama, wealthy in emotion, honesty and vigor. Every step of the way it successfully grabs your attention, yet never once going too far or undermining its realism. The tears, the tantrums, the frustrations and breakdowns - all of it acted out in a riveting… More
  Deeply involving family drama, wealthy in emotion, honesty and vigor. Every step of the way it successfully grabs your attention, yet never once going too far or undermining its realism. The tears, the tantrums, the frustrations and breakdowns - all of it acted out in a riveting display of first-rate performances. Everyone in the cast gives it their all, but the real stand-out here is Timothy Hutton. His portrayal of a psychologically distressed teenager, dealing with the loss of his brother and other family-related problems, is beyond fantastic. As can be said for the technical aspects of the film as well. Sublime directing and flawless editing, adds that little extra touch that took this from being a good film, to a great one. Now I can't say I'm much on the overall aestethics, what with all the ghastly 80's perms and questionable fashion style. But considering that's the only thing that bothered me somewhat, shows just what a truly outstanding piece of cinema this really his. A movie about letting go and facing your inner demons, that even after 30 years since its making, still holds incredible emotional value. Truly a must-see, for anyone who has ever suffered through some dark chapters in their life. Because this may very well help your healing process and make you look at things more objectively. At least it did for me, as I could relate to some of its subject matters on a personal level. In that sense, this is not so much a movie, as it is a rare and timeless instrument for moving on and cutting your losses. A larger-than-life motion picture, that gave me so much more than just two hours away from boredom.

• Chris W

  
  I found this portrait of a family crumbling apart in the wake of tragedy to be meerely really good instead of excellent or classic. Maybe I've just seen this type of thing enough to where it really has to be something to stand out...and this film didn't do that for me.… More
  I found this portrait of a family crumbling apart in the wake of tragedy to be meerely really good instead of excellent or classic. Maybe I've just seen this type of thing enough to where it really has to be something to stand out...and this film didn't do that for me. Maybe it's because I'm still mad it stoel the Oscar from Raging Bull, and film that truly did deserve it without question. Regardless of all that, this is a pretty good film, although it's not one I'd want to watch all the time. Maybe it's because the characters seemed to emotionally (and otherwise) detached, and it's hard to really feel for them a much as I should have. I'm no cold hearted bastard, but it was a tad difficult for me to completely care. The performances are really what make the film worthwhile though. Even if the characters are cold and distant, and it's hard to root for them, that is to the credit of the people playing them...very nice, warm, and colorful people. Hutton is especially really good, as is Moore, whom really broke type for this movie in a performance that is still probably her most dramatic. Any real faults with this movie could be chalked up to it being Redford's directorial debut, although that's not much of an excuse considering the number of years he spent in the business before deciding to direct. Ok, I'm rambling. Enough of that. You should see this. It offers a decent portrait of a family who are not as ordinary as they try to be, even if it hasn't totally held up overall.

• Jameson W

  
  Excellent! I haven't seen Raging Bull yet, but I think this film may have deserved Best Picture. I had never heard anything about this film other than that fact it "stole" Best Picture from Raging Bull, but I'm so glad I finally watched it. It's a timeless… More
  Excellent! I haven't seen Raging Bull yet, but I think this film may have deserved Best Picture. I had never heard anything about this film other than that fact it "stole" Best Picture from Raging Bull, but I'm so glad I finally watched it. It's a timeless classic, that is among my favorite films of all time! The title "Ordinary People" alludes to one the strongest elements of the film, the reality in it. The film basically follows a family after the tragic death of a son, and the attemped suicide of another son. The emotions, attitudes, and overall conflicts were so real. I truly felt like the film could have been about any ordinary person. This film is perfectly acted! Timothy Hutton gives an absolutely phenomenal performance for which he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His performance is one of the reasons this film is among my favorites. Mary Tyler Moore gives a completely missunderstood performance as the mother. It's probably a career best for her and she definitely deserved the Oscar nomination. Also, excellent performances by supporting actors Donald Sutherland and Judd Hirsch. All around, perfect main cast with a strong supporting cast as well. Bravo, Robert Redford! Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor. Memorable performances, brilliant direction, touching, emotional...this is a powerhouse drama film that everyone needs to see. I completely recommend this masterpiece!

• Jennifer X

  
  Watching this was like trying to go to sleep but not being able to. You're sort of tired but you're still up, but the experience is pure agony.

• familiar s

  
  So over-dramatic and full of cliches that it got on my nerves. Nah, this ain't ordinary unless we're to redefine 'ordinary'.

• Mark H

  
  How tragedy can destroy what was once a seemingly perfect family is exquisitely realized in this heartbreaking drama. As the story begins, we are placed in the middle of a family in the affluent surroundings of Lake Forest, Illinois. They're struggling to come to terms with the… More
  How tragedy can destroy what was once a seemingly perfect family is exquisitely realized in this heartbreaking drama. As the story begins, we are placed in the middle of a family in the affluent surroundings of Lake Forest, Illinois. They're struggling to come to terms with the death of their oldest son in a boating accident roughly a year after the fact. Flawless ensemble piece is a stunning achievement of acting. Timothy Hutton, in his film debut, won the Academy Award as the guilt ridden younger son who cannot absolve himself from the responsibility he feels over the incident. Donald Sutherland matches him as the passive father unable to keep his family from unraveling right before our eyes. But the most startling performance of all was that of Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett who seems more concerned with keeping the facade of a stable family life than dealing with the inner demons of her younger son. It is a shocking cast against type to anyone familiar with the personality on her TV shows. The somber mood is most affecting because the raw emotion of these characters is brutally real. We share an intimacy with these people. Rarely has the aftermath of a child's death been dealt with such honesty.

• AJ V

  
  A great drama with great actors and a great realistic story. I love it, it's one of the best drama films of the 80s, I highly recommend it.

• Spencer S

  
  It was a tad drab. I know, suicide, accidental deaths, chilly relations within a family blah blah blah. Half my class said they fell asleep while watching. Not to say the message isn't important, or that the actual acting and storyline aren't phenomenal. Still snooze alert.

• Jeremy S

  
  Crushingly powerful film. Acted to perfection by cast.

• Michael G

  
  When Ordinary People ended I was filled with a rage knowing that this was the movie that beat out Raging Bull for the Best Picture Oscar for 1980. Ordinary People isn't a bad movie, but it is horribly dated and for as great a job as she did, all I wanted to do was push Mary Tyler… More
  When Ordinary People ended I was filled with a rage knowing that this was the movie that beat out Raging Bull for the Best Picture Oscar for 1980. Ordinary People isn't a bad movie, but it is horribly dated and for as great a job as she did, all I wanted to do was push Mary Tyler Moore in front of a bus every time she showed onscreen. Timothy Hutton was fantastic and deserved the Best Supporting Actor Oscar without a doubt and the scenes with him and Judd Hirsch had to have been the blueprint for the Matt Damon/Robin Williams scenes in Good Will Hunting. Robert Redford didn't deserve the Oscar over Scorsese for Raging Bull or David Lynch for The Elephant Man with Ordinary People but he did pick it up for the last act and churned out an overall decent movie.

• Anthony L

  
  Definitely not a feel good film but that shouldn't put anyone off. This is a classic, filmed beautifully, exploring the complexity of human life even under fairly ordinary circumstances.

• Leigh R

  
  Tough movie but well done. Very emotional roller coaster ride.

• Jason O

  
  Neato...a movie that was released exactly 10 days after I was born (yep, my birthday this year is 9-9-9), and it won Best Picture for the year 1980. I'd never heard anything about it, but I'll watch ANY Best Picture movie, ever. I wasn't disappointed at all. Not sure… More
  Neato...a movie that was released exactly 10 days after I was born (yep, my birthday this year is 9-9-9), and it won Best Picture for the year 1980. I'd never heard anything about it, but I'll watch ANY Best Picture movie, ever. I wasn't disappointed at all. Not sure I'd call it an all time favorite, but no doubt it was one of the best movies of the year and worth my time.

• Drew S

  
  This movie is full of white people. Seriously.

• Byron B

  
  Wow, Sutherland, Moore, Hirsch, McGovern, and Hutton all gave such touching and in touch performances. A boy struggles with feelings of guilt, which a lot of people probably feel in one way or another, but which rarely are spoken aloud. Moore is as chilling as some horror movie… More
  Wow, Sutherland, Moore, Hirsch, McGovern, and Hutton all gave such touching and in touch performances. A boy struggles with feelings of guilt, which a lot of people probably feel in one way or another, but which rarely are spoken aloud. Moore is as chilling as some horror movie monster, but I believe she is portraying someone very real. That may be a bit harsh. She plays an emotionally distant mother who tries to keep control of her life by bottling all her hurt over the family tragedy inside herself. Thankfully the boy (Hutton) has a committed therapist, a girlfriend with potential, and a loving father.

• Darik H

  
  Redford shoots- he scores! (more to come)

• Mike T

  
  Half of the people involved in this movie seemed to comprehend the story, and the other half didn't. The story itself is beautiful, but its execution was awkward at times. Great performances from Timothy Hutton and Donald Sutherland. Worth a look, but there's no way in hell… More
  Half of the people involved in this movie seemed to comprehend the story, and the other half didn't. The story itself is beautiful, but its execution was awkward at times. Great performances from Timothy Hutton and Donald Sutherland. Worth a look, but there's no way in hell it deserved Best Picture over Raging Bull.

• Daisy M

  
  Ordinary People was a powerful film directed by Robert Redford, a great family drama that went way down and the ending left you thinking.Conrad, played brilliantly by Timothy Hutton in an Oscar winning role, was a depressed suicidal son of a couple struggling to cope with their… More
  Ordinary People was a powerful film directed by Robert Redford, a great family drama that went way down and the ending left you thinking.Conrad, played brilliantly by Timothy Hutton in an Oscar winning role, was a depressed suicidal son of a couple struggling to cope with their son's death. he felt responsible for that, and had already tried to take his own life.It had a tremendous cast, Timothy Hutton as the damaged Conrad,Donald Sutherland was sympathetic as Cal, a man who had to choose between saving his son or his marriage. Mary Tyler Moore,who I wanted to describe her as a villain, but she was just hiding her emotions or ran off on vacation when things get rough.Wonderful acting and direction, and a super b script, just a one more of a great movies till date.

• Lauren D

  
  Despite the fact that I would've eventually watched it one day due to it winning Best Picture, I only watched it because I had just finished rewatching Firefly and every time I watch it, I fall in love with it all over again. Anyway, I was trying to resist watching Serenity… More
  Despite the fact that I would've eventually watched it one day due to it winning Best Picture, I only watched it because I had just finished rewatching Firefly and every time I watch it, I fall in love with it all over again. Anyway, I was trying to resist watching Serenity because I was trying to only watch movies I hadn't seen before and I was jonesing for more, so I thought 'Eh, Adam Baldwin's in this, it'll do'. Soo.. onto the [short] review. Not my kind of movie. I don't like dramas. Acting was fine, and it was an ok movie, but yeah, just not my kind of movie.

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