It is no wonder that this film practically swept the Academy Awards in the year that it was nominated. Rarely has a film captured the intricacies of family life during a crisis as masterfully as this gem. Most of the credit should go to Robert Redford, for his ability to achieve such stunning performances from a diverse cast. Mary Tyler Moore had previously been best known for her work in a situation comedy, Timothy Hutton was basically an unknown, and Donald Sutherland's best previous performance had been a role in the comedy/drama M*A*S*H.
The most interesting thing about this movie is that it makes you examine your own familial relationships. It is the standard against which all dramas about a family dealing with tragedy should be measured.
The basic story line is about the aftermath of the death of Buck Jarrett, in a boating accident, in which his brother Conrad survives. At least on the surface, it appears that he survives. Much of the rest of the story is about Conrad's attempt to survive the guilt and agony of the loss of his brother. Below the surface lies the story of the marriage of Conrad's parents Beth and Calvin Jarrett. They live in an upper middle class neighborhood of Chicago. Calvin is a kind, solid, responsible, peacemaker. Beth is a very private, socially conscious housewife who adored Buck and had a special relationship with him. She appears to be more interested in keeping up appearances in her social circle, than in Conrad's emotional welfare. For 21 years, they appeared to be an ideal family with a charmed life.
Suddenly, with Buck's death, their insulated lives changed overnight. Conrad sinks into a deep hole of depression and attempts to commit suicide. Calvin, tries to carry on as if nothing ever happened, suppressing his emotions. Beth, withdraws all support and meaningful communication from Conrad as if silently holding him responsible for Buck's death. Her relationship with Calvin is strained as well, as she sees him as enabling Conrad's irrational behavior.
When Conrad is released from the hospital, he begins therapy with a Psychiatrist, Dr. Berger, expertly portrayed by Judd Hirsch. The therapy sessions between Dr. Berger and Conrad are so realistic that they are riveting. The interplay between Hirsch's inquisitive elusiveness and Hutton's nervous ego defense building is an enlightening study in psychotherapy.
Mary Tyler Moore's restrained performance as the tortured Beth is brilliant and beautifully understated. One has to conclude that she borrowed from the sorrow of the death of her own young son to suicide years before this movie was filmed. Donald Sutherland is very believable in his role as a man who is caught up in something so gut wrenching, that he refuses to deal with it emotionally until he is forced to come face to face with his tendency to gloss over problems and to see the world through rose colored glasses.
Eventually, through psychotherapy, Conrad comes to understand that his failure to be in a supportive relationship with his mother is due more to her own weakness, than anything for which he is responsible and he comes to accept her limitations. He also comes to the realization that the guilt he had been carrying around for his brother's death was misplaced, as Dr. Berger helps him to see that his guilt came from a strength and will to live that eclipsed that of his brother Buck.
Calvin, has a psychotherapy session with Dr. Berger, in an attempt to increase his understanding of Conrad's emotional struggles, only to find that he has suppressed many of his own feelings about Buck's death and his and Beth's response to the death of their son. This leads him to finally see Beth as she is, incapable of a truly supportive, loving and mutually empathetic relationship. This shatters his concept of the perfect marriage and family life he had taken for granted for so many years. When he confronts Beth with his revelation, she is completely unable to handle it, and runs away.
In the end, this movie is mostly about the lengths to which someone will go, to support an ideal of family and relationships even when all signs to the contrary become convincingly evident. It is about the protective walls we build around us to shield ourselves from he harsh realities of life, and it is about the ravages of guilt, when things happen that are beyond our control.
Redford does an excellent job in delivering these concepts in a way that is utterly devoid of emotional manipulation and totally genuine. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and "Ordinary People" is the epitome of true to life drama that is not only realistic but self -elucidating. That type of cinematic experience is indeed rare.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: VHS Video Occasion: Good for Groups Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
A suburban Chicago couple and their son are torn by another son's death. Oscars for best picture, director Robert Redford, supporting actor Hutton.More at HotMovieSale.com
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