Ordinary People (1980)

Director: Robert Redford
Screenplay: Judith Guest (Based on the novel by Alvin Sargent)
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Judd Hirsch, M. Emmet Walsh, Elizabeth McGovern, Dinah Manoff, Fredric Lehne & Scott Doebler

Oscar wins (4): Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Timothy Hutton) & Best Adapted Screenplay

Who knew an actor could be so brilliant as a director? Robert Redford pulls out all the raw emotions into the performers of the suburban drama Ordinary People. He makes us experience such a roller coaster of emotions, that the film has no dull moments. We think to ourselves: who are the good guys? Who is the bad one? Redford gives us a story in where we choose our own sides, and this is top notch film making.

In a little town in America, we met the "ordinary" Jarrett family. As they try to live past the death of their oldest son Buck (Scott Doebler), we see the depressing lives of father Calvin (Donald Sutherland), Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) and their remaining son Conrad (Timothy Hutton in his Oscar winning role).

Conrad becomes disconnected with his family and friends as he feels responsible for the death of Buck in one of their boating trips. As he begins to see a Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch), we begin to see another side of Conrad as him and his shrink unlock his deepest darkest secrets and thoughts. But it won't be that easy. With family life decaying at home, will Conrad's arrogant and pretentious mother help her son realize that "everything will be okay"? Or will she continue blaming him for the death of her favorite child.

As brilliant as Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland and Judd Hirsch are, the true star of this picture is the young Timothy Hutton. Hutton surprised me the first time I saw him in this performance. He was so raw, so emotional and so outstanding that I believe he deserves to win an Oscar for Best Actor, rather then his category-fraud win for Best Supporting Actor. His performance was so truthful and is clearly one of my favorite performances of all time. His Conrad acting is so intense and subtle in the same time, that Hutton goes beyond any other "professional" veteran actors in this once in a lifetime performance. Kudos to him.

Robert Redford leads his band of actors into film making victory with this film. I suppose its because actors understand other actors. He knew what to do with them and he knew how to project that. He knew what to do with the brilliant script of Judith Guest and he knew how to show it on screen.

In my opinion Ordinary People is not the best film of the 1980s (We have Tootsie (1982) for that), but it is certainly the best acted one. I stand my ground when I say that all the actors, principal or supporting, were extremely good. They were on top of their game. All the scenes in the film were captivating and so emotionally touching that the movie becomes a gem of the 1980s. It's acting heaven.

Picture: Conrad Jarrett (Oscar winner Timothy Hutton) is out-of-this world, confused and blames himself for his brothers death.