Ordinary People Poster
MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Down 430 this week

Ordinary People (1980)

R  124 min  -  Drama   -  27 February 1981 (Australia)
7.8
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.8/10 from 19,976 users  
Reviews: 248 user | 40 critic

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), and 1 more credit »
 Loading Watchlist 

Watch now

Buy it from Amazon »

Related Lists

image of title
a list of 2,174 titles by Dr-Faustus created 8 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 1,000 titles by PeacefulAnarchy created 3 weeks ago
 
image of title
a list of 945 titles by abcj-2 created 2 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 500 titles by bjorndedrij004 created 2 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 32 titles by Tincage created 2 days ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Download the free IMDb App
Won 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 9 nominations See more awards »
Edit

Cast

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

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. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Therapy | Death | Suicide | Grief | Friend  | See more »

Taglines:

some films you watch, others you feel. See more »

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(Australia) See more »

Also Known As:

Gente como uno See more »

Filming Locations:

Apple Valley, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$54,766,923 (USA) (1981)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Timothy Hutton's father, actor Jim Hutton, passed away prior to filming. Timothy Hutton has said that he did not use his mourning as a basis for Conrad's depression. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: When Karen and Conrad at the restaurant, the straw in Karen hands starts unwrapped, then becomes wrapped, and then suddenly jumps into the Coke. See more »

Quotes

Conrad "Con" Jarrett: [seeing Beth set the table] Can I help?
Beth Jarrett: Help with what?
Conrad "Con" Jarrett: With... this?
Beth Jarrett: No. I'll tell you what you can do is go upstairs to that room of yours and clean out the closet.
Conrad "Con" Jarrett: [still desperately trying to talk with her] Mom?
Beth Jarrett: [sensing this, but is afraid] Okay? Because it really is a mess.
[they stare at each other in silence for a moment before the phone rings]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "House M.D.: The Social Contract (#5.17)" (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

"(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden"
(1969) (uncredited)
Written by Joe South
Sung a cappella a bit by Judd Hirsch See more »