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Ordinary People starring Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Judd Hirsch

Posted on August 14, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Ordinary People starring Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Judd Hirsch
Ordinary People starring Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Judd Hirsch. Made in 1980, directed by Robert Redford. Image: cinemoviehistory.com

The life of an ordinary family has gotten turned upside down by 2 tragic and shocking events: First, the older son Bucky (Scott Doebler) died in a boating accident during a trip he went with his younger brother Conrad (Timothy Hutton). Then, some time after the accident Conrad attempted suicide by cutting his wrists and very nearly succeeded.

When C onrad comes home from a4-month stay at a psychiatric hospital, he tries to adjust his settings.  While his father Calvin (Donald Sutherland) does his best to make him feel better, his mother Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) for some reason seems uncomfortable by his son’s presence.

Conrad goes back to his high school and the swim team but he can’t help but feel disconnected. He loved his brother a lot and his mother’s coldness isn’t helping matters. So he unwillingly starts seeing a psychiatrist named Berger (Judd Hirsch). Disconnected from his mother and friends, Conrad is missing the hospital.

Will Conrad eventually be able to let go of his anger, guilt and depression? Will Calvin manage to reconnect with his son and try to figure out his wife, who seems to be more interested in romantic getaways and social gatherings than her own son’s well-being?

***

Ordinary People, unlike its title, is an extraordinary movie. The plot summary might not have intrigued you all that much but trust me, this movie is an amazing emotional experience. The tagline “some films you watch…others you feel” couldn’t have been more appropriate. This very humane story is directed by Robert Redford. And even though a very young Timothy Hutton’s name is written 4th on the opening credits, the heavy-lifting is mostly on his shoulders as he brilliantly portrays Conrad, a character you like, understand and feel the pain of. And the academy agrees as Timothy won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar with this role. The movie has 3 more Oscars: Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Judd Hirsch, Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore are expectedly good (note that Judd Hirsch was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Moore for Best Actress) but if you do cry, it is probably gonna be Hutton who makes you.

Based on the novel Judith Guest. Written by Alvin Sargent and Nancy Dowd. Directed by Robert Redford.

Rated 7.8 on IMDB and a solid 8 from me, Ordinary People is a must see. The coldness and the weird way Conrad’s mother’s mind works will give you the chills and you won’t be able to help but feel for the father who is trying his best to hold his family together despite what’s happened and what’s still happening.

Fun notes:

  • The first time we see Conrad’s friends is when they pick him up for school. The guy in the front seat is a very young Adam Baldwin, who you might remember from Chuck- he plays John Casey.
  • Do you remember the classic Tom Cruise comedy Risky Business? You may not remember the fil exactly but it is the film where his parents go away for a while and our high school kid ends up having a relationship with the prostitute. The classic scene is Tom Cruise wearing a white shirt over his underpants and white socks, wearing sunglasses and dancing in the house. Well, that role could have been Timothy Hutton’s. But after Ordinary People and Taps, Timothy wasn’t really impressed with the storyline so he turned it town. You might see it as a strategic mistake but I have to say, I can see how Timothy would haven’t seen it as a challenge after these two.

Other Movies  and Posts featuring Donald Sutherland

Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen and Donald Sutherland

Canadian Celebrity Trivia:  Donald Sutherland, Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds & More

Other Posts on Robert Redford Movies

3 Movies with Indecent Proposals: The Box, Indecent Proposal and A Perfect Murder

Lions for Lambs starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise

Other Movies and TV series with Timothy Hutton

The Absolute Timothy Hutton Trivia

The Killing Room starring Timothy Hutton, Chloe Sevigny and Peter Stormare

Serious Moonlight starring Timothy Hutton and Meg Ryan

City of Industry starring Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff and Timothy Hutton

French Kiss starring Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Leverage TV Series starring Timothy Hutton

The Ghost Writer starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan. Feat. Timothy Hutton

The Good Shepherd starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Feat. Timothy Hutton

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Academy-award winning movies, Adam Baldwin, donald sutherland, drama, Judd Hirsch, Mary Tyler Moore, movies, Ordinary People, ordinary people movie, Robert Redford, robert redford movies, Scott Doebler, Timothy Hutton, timothy hutton movies, timothy hutton ordinary people

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