Ordinary People (1980)

The accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father, and the guilt-ridden younger son.

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers:

Judith Guest (novel), Alvin Sargent (screenplay),

Stars:

Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch

Won 4 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Sutherland	...	Calvin Jarrett
Mary Tyler Moore	...	Beth Jarrett
Judd Hirsch	...	Dr. Tyrone Berger
Timothy Hutton	...	Conrad Jarrett
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Salan
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Jeannine Pratt
Dinah Manoff	...	Karen Aldrich
Fredric Lehne	...	Joe Lazenby
James Sikking	...	Ray (as James B. Sikking)
Basil Hoffman	...	Sloan
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Ward (as Quinn Redeker)
Mariclare Costello	...	Audrey
Meg Mundy	...	Grandmother
Elizabeth Hubbard	...	Ruth
Adam Baldwin	...	Stillman

Storyline

Beth, Calvin, and their son Conrad are living in the aftermath of the death of the other son. Conrad is overcome by grief and misplaced guilt to the extent of a suicide attempt. He is in therapy. Beth had always preferred his brother and is having difficulty being supportive to Conrad. Calvin is trapped between the two trying to hold the family together.

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Plot Keywords:

therapy | death | suicide | guilt | grief | 

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Taglines:

Everything is in its proper place... Except the past.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1981 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Gente como uno

Filming Locations:

Apple Valley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$54,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Redford decided to do the film because the story's family reminded him of his own in the way it talked around issues.

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Goofs

The golf scene is set on the 18th hole of the golf course but they are seen leaving the practice green (multiple holes in the putting surface are visible).

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Quotes

Conrad "Con" Jarrett: Anyway.
Jeannine: Hm, what?
Conrad "Con" Jarrett: Oh just anyway. It's a conversation starter.
Jeannine: Hm, catchy.
Conrad "Con" Jarrett: I knew you'd like it, I've been working on it all day.

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Connections

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)

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Soundtracks

"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by all at the party

User Reviews

This movie saved my life

I was 16 years old in 1984 when I first saw this movie. I was also clinically depressed and suicidal. I had been on antidepressants for about a year (in the pre-prozac days) and I happened to see this movie on Showtime or HBO - almost by accident. Timothy Hutton perfectly captures what it's like to be depressed as a teenager. And Judd Hirsch and Hutton perfectly capture the patient/therapist relationship. There are also a few perfect little scenes that capture the problems of a family that can't communicate. Especially memorable is the scene where Calvin tells Beth about the shoes he wore to Buck's funeral. This film captures all of the important moments like this that truly demonstrate the problems the family is having. After seeing it, I read the book and I knew that if Conrad could go on, so could I. I watch this movie once every few years. It really means a lot to me.