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{{About|the film}} {{Short description|1980 film by Robert Redford}}
{{About|the film|the novel it is based on|Ordinary People (Guest novel){{!}}''Ordinary People'' (Guest novel)||Ordinary People (disambiguation)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox film {{Infobox film
| name = Ordinary People | name = Ordinary People
| image = OrdinaryPeople.jpg | image = OrdinaryPeople.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster | caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = ] | director = ]
| producer = Ronald L. Schwary | producer = ]
| writer = ]<br>] | screenplay = ]
| based on = {{small|] by}} ] | based_on = {{based on|]|]}}
| starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| music = ] | music = ]
| cinematography = ] | cinematography = ]
| editing = ] | editing = ]
| studio = ]
| set decoration = William B. Fosser
| distributor = ] | distributor = ]
| released = {{Film date|1980|9|19}} | released = {{Film date|1980|9|19}}
| runtime = 124 minutes | runtime = 124 minutes
| country = {{Film US}} | country = United States
| language = English | language = English
| budget = $6.2 million<ref name="pryor">{{cite news |title=Pryor and Alda Proving Stars Still Sell Movies |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |work=] |date=30 May 1981 |page=1.10 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/30/movies/pryor-and-alda-proving-stars-still-sell-movies.html |access-date=28 December 2020 |archive-date=10 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110140229/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/30/movies/pryor-and-alda-proving-stars-still-sell-movies.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| budget = $6 million
| gross = $54,766,923 | gross = $90 million
}} }}
'''''Ordinary People''''' is a 1980 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of ]. It stars ], ], ] and ].


'''''Ordinary People''''' is a 1980 American ] directed by ] in his ]. The screenplay by ] is based on the ] by ]. The film follows the disintegration of a wealthy family in ], following the accidental death of one of their two sons and the attempted suicide of the other. It stars ], ], ], and ].
The story concerns the disintegration of an ] family in ], following the death of the older son in a boating accident. The screenplay by ] was based upon the ] ] by ].


''Ordinary People'' was released theatrically on September 19, 1980, by ] to critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised Redford's direction, Sargent's screenplay, and the performances of the cast. The film, which grossed $90 million on a $6.2 million budget, was chosen by the ] as one of the ], and garnered six nominations at the ], winning four: ], ], ], and ] for Hutton (the ] recipient at age 20).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmsite.org/bestdirs1.html|title=Academy Awards: Best Director Facts and Trivia|website=filmsite.org|access-date=16 October 2020|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111222402/https://www.filmsite.org/bestdirs1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the film won five awards at the ]: ], ], ] (Moore), ], and ] (Hutton).
The film was a critical and commercial success, winning that year's ] as well as three other ], including one for Hutton.


==Plot==
The Jarretts, are an upper-middle class family trying to return to normal life after the death of one teenage son and the attempted suicide of their surviving son, Conrad (Timothy Hutton). Conrad has recently returned home from a four-month stay in a psychiatric hospital. He feels alienated from his friends and family, and begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch). Berger learns that Conrad was involved in a sailing accident in which his older brother, Buck (whom everyone idolized), died. Conrad now deals with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt.
The Jarretts are an upper-middle-class family in ], a wealthy suburb north of ]. They are trying to return to normal life after experiencing the accidental death of their older teenage son, Buck, and the attempted suicide of their younger and surviving son, Conrad. Conrad has recently returned home after spending four months in a ]. He feels alienated from his friends and family and seeks help from a psychiatrist, Dr. Tyrone Berger, who discovers that Conrad was involved in the sailing accident that caused Buck's death. Conrad is now dealing with ] and is seeking help to cope with his emotions.


Conrad's father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), awkwardly struggles to connect with his surviving son and understand his wife. Conrad's mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) struggles to comprehend her loss, maintain her composure, and focuses on what her family once was, and cannot be again. She appears to have loved her elder son more (though perhaps more what he represented), and as a result has now grown cold toward Conrad. She is fixated with maintaining the appearance of perfection and normalcy. Conrad work with Dr. Berger, and learns to try to deal with, rather than control his emotions. He starts dating Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern), and begins to regain a sense of optimism. He suffers a setback when he learns that a friend from the psychiatric hosiptal (Dinah Manoff)has committed suicide. Conrad struggles to communicate and re-establish a normal relationship with his parents and schoolmates. He cannot seem to allow anyone, especially Beth, to get close. Beth attempts to appeal to Conrad for some sort of normalcy, and to express concern and love for her son whom she doesn't understand. Conrad again rebuffs her. Conrad's father, Calvin, attempts to connect with his surviving son and understand his wife, while Conrad's mother, Beth, denies her loss, hoping to maintain her composure and restore her family to what it once was. She appears to have favored her older son and has grown cold toward Conrad due to his suicide attempt. Beth is determined to maintain the appearance of perfection and normality, and her efforts only serve to alienate Conrad further. Conrad works with Dr. Berger and begins to learn how to deal with his emotions rather than control them. He starts dating a fellow student, Jeannine, who helps him regain a sense of optimism. However, Conrad still struggles to communicate and establish normal relationships with his parents and schoolmates.


Conrad often argues with his mother while Calvin tries to referee, generally taking Conrad's side for fear of losing him. Things come to a climax near Christmas, after Beth discovers Conrad has been lying about his after school whereabouts. Beth and Calvin don't realize that Conrad isn't doing the same things that lead to the suicide attempt, although his actions appear similar. Beth and Calvin take a trip to see Beth’s brother in Houston where, Calvin confronts Beth calling her out on her attitude. In a moment of utter rage Beth shouts at Calvin, "what kind of mother doesn’t love her son?" It is a public outburst underlining the depth with which a normally overtly repressed Beth is suffering. Beth and Conrad often argue while Calvin tries to referee, generally taking Conrad's side for fear of pushing him over the edge again. Tensions escalate near Christmas when Conrad becomes furious at Beth for not wanting to take a photo with him, swearing at her in front of his grandparents. Afterwards, Beth discovers Conrad has been lying about his after-school whereabouts. This leads to a heated confrontation between Conrad and Beth in which Conrad points out that Beth never visited him in the hospital; Conrad argues that if Buck had been hospitalized in his place, she would have gone to see him, to which Beth curtly replies that Buck would never have been in the hospital in the first place. Beth and Calvin take a trip to see Beth's brother Ward in Houston, where Calvin presses Beth about her evasive attitude.

Conrad suffers a setback when he learns that Karen, a friend from the psychiatric hospital, has committed suicide. A cathartic breakthrough session in the middle of the night with Dr. Berger allows Conrad to stop blaming himself for Buck's death and accept his mother's frailties. However, when Conrad tries to show affection, Beth is unresponsive, leading Calvin to emotionally confront her one last time. He questions their love and asks whether she is capable of truly loving anyone. Stunned, Beth packs her bags and goes back to Houston. Calvin and Conrad are left to come to terms with their new family situation, affirming their father-son love.


Eventually Conrad is able to stop blaming himself for Buck's death and begins to get a grasp of his mother's frailties as Dr. Berger advises him to accept her as she is. Calvin emotionally confronts Beth one last time. He questions their love, and asks whether she is capable of truly loving anyone. Beth leaves, and begins packing her clothes, having decided to leave her family. Calvin and Conrad are left to come to terms with their new family situation.
==Cast== ==Cast==
{{Div col | colwidth=20em}}
* ] as Calvin Jarrett * ] as Calvin Jarrett
* ] as Beth Jarrett * ] as Beth Jarrett
* ] as Tyrone C. Berger
* ] as Conrad Jarrett * ] as Conrad Jarrett
* ] as Dr. Tyrone C. Berger
* ] as Jeannine Pratt * ] as Jeannine Pratt
* ] as Coach Salan * ] as Salan
* ] as Karen Aldrich * ] as Karen Aldrich
* ] as Lazenby * ] as Joe Lazenby
* ] as Ray Hanley * ] as Ray Hanley
* ] as Sloan * ] as Sloan
* ] as Ward * ] as Ward Butler
* ] as Audrey * ] as Audrey Butler
* ] as Grandmother * Richard Whiting as Howard Butler
* ] as Ellen Butler
* ] as Ruth * ] as Ruth
* ] as Stillman * ] as Kevin Stillman
* Scott Doebler as Buck Jarrett
* ] as Grandfather
{{Div col end}}
* ] as Jordan "Buck" Jarrett (in flashback)


==Production== ===Casting===
] was originally cast as Calvin Jarrett but then later dropped out when he and the studio could not come to a financial agreement.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wuntch |first=Philip |date=1985-11-14 |title=Gene Hackman Happy with his Career Despite 'Honorable Disappointments' |language=en-US |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-11-14-8503180869-story.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2021-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731181413/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-11-14-8503180869-story.html |archive-date=July 31, 2021}}</ref>


A then-unknown ], who had just moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, auditioned for the role of Conrad Jarrett but reportedly did not impress Redford, who flossed his teeth during Fox's audition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=2023-05-11 |title=Michael J. Fox Looks Back on Hollywood Triumphs, Setbacks and Why 'Parkinson's Is the Gift That Keeps on Taking' |language=en-US |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/features/michael-j-fox-parkinsons-disease-still-documentary-1235607552/ |access-date=June 20, 2024 |archive-date=June 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617210942/https://variety.com/2023/film/features/michael-j-fox-parkinsons-disease-still-documentary-1235607552/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |series=Late Night with David Letterman |network=] |date=23 October 1985}} |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VmnP-tSI-4 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620062006/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VmnP-tSI-4 |date=June 20, 2024 }}</ref>
===Development===
Robert Redford was looking for his first job as a director. He read the novel, was immediately stunned by its plot and knew this was the film to start his directing career. After meeting with the author, Judith Guest, he bought the rights to the novel to adapt it into a film. After that, he looked for a distributor. He met with Paramount Pictures, which offered to distribute the film and bankroll production on a very short budget ($6 million). He also acquired Academy Award-nominated producer Ronald L. Schwary.


] was also considered for the role of Beth.
===Screenplay===
Redford hired Alvin Sargent to adapt the novel into a screenplay. Sargent won an Oscar in 1978 for the screen adaptation of '']'' and had been nominated previously for the screen adaptation of '']''. Sargent kept the ''Ordinary People'' script faithful to the book, though he did somewhat augment the rather minimal character development found in the novel.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}

===Filming===
The film was shot in ], where the story took place, and nearby ]. The golf scene was shot in ], and interior shots were filmed in ]. The high school scenes were shot at ] (with the swimming pool scenes done at ]). The shopping mall was ] in ]. The storm sequence where Conrad's brother is killed was filmed on a soundstage at Paramount Studios. The film was shot in 1.85:1 surround with the screen inch of 35mm.


==Reception== ==Reception==
===Box office===
Robert Redford and Timothy Hutton both won ]s for their respective debuts: Redford as ] and Hutton as ]. The film marked Mary Tyler Moore's career breakout from the personality of her other two famous roles as Laura Petrie on '']'' and Mary Richards on '']''. Moore's role was well-received and obtained a nomination for ]. The film also won ] for 1980.
The film was a box-office success, grossing $54 million in the United States and Canada<ref name=mojo>{{mojo title|ordinarypeople|Ordinary People}}</ref> and approximately $36 million overseas<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=]|date=April 29, 1981|title=CIC Sights a $235-Mil Global Windfall|last=Watkins|first=Roger|page=3}}</ref> for a worldwide gross of $90 million.


===Critical reception===
Judd Hirsch's portrayal of Dr. Berger has also drawn praise from many in the psychiatric community as one of the rare times their profession is shown in a positive light in the films,<ref name="psychiatrist">Martin, Linda B.; January 25, 1981; ; '']''; retrieved September 13, 2006</ref> although some consider his portrayal to be too positive, thus lending an air of one-dimensionality.<ref name="Pies">Pies, Ron; 2001 ; ''Journal of Mundane Behavior''; retrieved September 14, 2006.</ref> Hirsch was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, losing out to co-star Hutton. Donald Sutherland's performance in the film was also well received and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He was not nominated for an Academy Award along with his co-stars, however, which today is considered one of the worst acting snubs in the history of the Academy Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20007870_20164474_20179544_10,00.html |title=25 Biggest Oscar Snubs Ever: Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People |author=Entertainment Weekly |accessdate=2010-02-13}}</ref> ''Ordinary People'' launched the career of ], who received special permission to film while attending ]. 1980 was also a break-out year for ], who had a small role in ''Ordinary People'' while starring in '']'' the same year.
''Ordinary People'' received critical acclaim. On ], the film has an approval rating of 90%, based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Robert Redford proves himself a filmmaker of uncommon ] with ''Ordinary People'', an auspicious debut that deftly observes the fractioning of a family unit through a quartet of superb performances."<ref name="RT">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ordinary_people/ |title=Ordinary People (1980) |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=15 October 2024 |archive-date=2019-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523143905/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ordinary_people/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


] gave it a full four stars and praised how the film's setting "is seen with an understated matter-of-factness. There are no cheap shots against suburban lifestyles or affluence or mannerisms: The problems of the people in this movie aren't caused by their milieu, but grow out of themselves. ... That's what sets the film apart from the sophisticated suburban soap opera it could easily have become."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ordinary-people-1980|title=Ordinary People review|newspaper=]|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=1 January 1980|access-date=2 September 2020|archive-date=2020-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903004940/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ordinary-people-1980|url-status=live}}</ref> He later named it the fifth best film of the year 1980; while colleague ] ranked it the second best film of 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://innermind.com/misc/s_e_top.htm#SE1980|website=innermind.com|title=Siskel and Ebert Top Ten Lists (1969–1998)|access-date=16 October 2018|archive-date=2018-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727230144/http://www.innermind.com/misc/s_e_top.htm#SE1980|url-status=live}}</ref>
This was also the first of two times director ] (who directed that year's '']'') lost the ] to actors making their directorial debut (the other was ten years later with ] on '']'').


Writing for ''],'' ] called it "a moving, intelligent and funny film about disasters that are commonplace to everyone except the people who experience them."<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=] |first=Vincent |last=Canby |title=Redford's Ordinary People |url=https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/people-re.html |date=19 September 1980 |access-date=16 October 2018 |archive-date=2017-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212082208/http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/people-re.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Ordinary People'' received very positive reviews from critics. ] gave it four stars,<ref> from ]</ref> calling it "one of the year's best films, probably of the decade" and later named it the fifth best film of the year 1980.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}


The film marked a career breakout for Mary Tyler Moore from the personalities of her other two famous roles: Laura Petrie on '']'' and Mary Richards on '']''. Moore's nuanced portrayal of the mother to Hutton's character was highly acclaimed, and earned her a ] nomination.<ref name=Siegel/> Donald Sutherland's performance as the father was also well received and earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Despite his co-stars receiving nominations, Sutherland was overlooked for an Academy Award, which '']'' has described as one of the biggest acting snubs in the history of the awards.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/gallery/25-biggest-oscar-snubs-all-time/?slide=320129#320129 |title=25 Biggest Oscar Snubs Ever: Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People |magazine=] |date=March 1, 2016 |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=2015-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622170457/http://www.ew.com/gallery/25-biggest-oscar-snubs-ever/394280_donald-sutherland-maryljpg |url-status=live}}</ref>
], used as thematic and background music, enjoyed a surge in popularity as a result. It has remained popular since then.


Judd Hirsch's portrayal of Dr. Berger was a departure from his work on the sitcom '']'', and drew praise from many in the psychiatric community as one of the rare times their profession is shown in a positive light in film.<ref name="psychiatrist">{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Linda B.|date=25 January 1981|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/25/movies/the-psychiatrist-in-today-s-movies-he-s-everywhere-and-in-deep-trouble.html|title=The Psychiatrist in Today's Movies: He's Everywhere and He's in Deep Trouble|newspaper=]|access-date=13 September 2006|archive-date=2007-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214023608/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9901EFD8153BF936A15752C0A967948260|url-status=live}}</ref> Hirsch was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, losing out to co-star Hutton. Additionally, ''Ordinary People'' launched the career of ] who played Hutton's character's love interest, and who received special permission to film while attending ].
The film was a box office success, which grossed $54 million at theaters and $23 million in rentals.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}


The film's prominent usage of ], which had been relatively obscure for centuries, helped to usher the piece into mainstream popular culture.<ref name="prisoners">{{cite journal |title=Prisoners of Pachelbel: An Essay in Post-Canonic Musicology |url=https://www.academia.edu/581670 |first=Robert |last=Fink |date=2010 |journal=Hamburg Jahrbuch |access-date=2020-01-28 |archive-date=2021-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430232337/https://www.academia.edu/581670/Prisoners_of_Pachelbel |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Awards==
;Wins
* ]
* ] - ]
* ] - ]
* ] - ]
* ]
* ] - Robert Redford
* ] – ]
* ] - Timothy Hutton
* ] - Timothy Hutton
* ] - Alvin Sargent
* ] - Robert Redford
* ]


===Analysis===
;Nominations
Julia L. Hall, a journalist who has written extensively about ], wrote in 2017 upon Moore's death that she "portrays her character's narcissism to a tee in turn after turn."<ref name=Hall/> She praised Moore for taking such a career risk so soon after having played such a memorable and likable character on television, "scaffolding gaping emptiness with a persona of perfection, supported by denial, blame, rejection, and rage."<ref name=Hall>{{cite web|last=Hall|first=Julie L.|title=Remembering Mary Tyler Moore as the Chilling Narcissist Mother in 'Ordinary People'|url=https://narcissistfamilyfiles.com/2017/02/11/remembering-mary-tyler-moore-chilling-narcissist-mother-ordinary-people/|website=The Narcissist Family Files|date=February 11, 2017|access-date=October 6, 2021|archive-date=October 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006053121/https://narcissistfamilyfiles.com/2017/02/11/remembering-mary-tyler-moore-chilling-narcissist-mother-ordinary-people/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ] - ]

* ] - ]
==Accolades==
* ] - ]
The film was nominated for six ] (winning four), including the ], ], ], and ] (for Hutton) in his first film role.<ref name=Siegel>Siegel, Scott and Barbara (1990). ''The Encyclopedia of Hollywood''.</ref>
* ] - Judd Hirsch

* ] - ]
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
* ] - Mary Tyler Moore
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="6"| ]
| ]
| ]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| <ref>{{cite web |title=The 53rd Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1981 |website=oscars.org |date=October 5, 2014 |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419210514/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1981 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| ]
| ]
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| ]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| ]
| ]
| {{nom}}
|-
| ]
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| ]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| ]
| ]
| Mary Tyler Moore
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |title=Film in 1982 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1982/film |website=awards.bafta.org |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=June 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626092513/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1982/film |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| ]
| Timothy Hutton
| {{nom}}
|-
| ]
| ]
| Robert Redford
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite news |title=Redford Wins Directors' Prize |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/17/movies/redford-wins-directors-prize.html |access-date=15 March 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=March 17, 1981 |archive-date=March 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315165537/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/17/movies/redford-wins-directors-prize.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="8"| ]
| colspan="2"| ]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="8"| <ref>{{cite web |title=1981 Golden Globe Awards |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1981 |website=Golden Globes |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=December 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222104951/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1981 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| ]
| ]
| {{nom}}
|-
| ]
| Mary Tyler Moore
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| ]
| Judd Hirsch
| {{nom}}
|-
| Timothy Hutton
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| Robert Redford
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| Alvin Sargent
| {{nom}}
|-
| ]
| Timothy Hutton
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| colspan="2"| ]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Film
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1980-89 |website=Kansas City Film Critics Circle |date=December 14, 2013 |access-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201105239/https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| Best Director
| Robert Redford
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actor
| rowspan="2"| Timothy Hutton
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| ]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |title=6th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards |url=http://www.lafca.net/Years/1980.php |website=lafca.net |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321001212/http://www.lafca.net/Years/1980.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| ]
| Best Foreign Director
| Robert Redford
| {{nom}}
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="3"| ]
| colspan="2"| ]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |title=1980 Award Winners |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1980/ |website=National Board of Review |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417154032/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1980/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2"| ]
| {{won}}
|-
| ]
| Robert Redford
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| ]
| ]
| Mary Tyler Moore
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite news |last1=Maslin |first1=Janet |author1-link=Janet Maslin |title='Melvin and Howard' is Chosen as Best Film |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/07/movies/melvin-and-howard-is-chosen-as-best-film.html |access-date=15 March 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=January 7, 1981 |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926221825/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/07/movies/melvin-and-howard-is-chosen-as-best-film.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| ]
| Timothy Hutton
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| ]
| colspan="2"| ]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref>{{cite news |title=Ordinary People' Wins N.Y. Film Critics' Award |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=poUqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5lwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6966,4879835&dq |access-date=15 March 2023 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=31 December 1980 |page=7 |archive-date=October 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005015702/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=poUqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5lwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6966,4879835&dq |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| ]
| Robert Redford
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| ]
| Mary Tyler Moore
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| ]
| Timothy Hutton
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| ]
| ]
| Alvin Sargent
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite magazine |last1=O’Neil |first1=Tom |title=And the Winners Were... |date=March 2001 |url=https://awards.wga.org/history/and-the-winners-were |magazine=Written By |publisher=WGA |access-date=15 March 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329010345/https://awards.wga.org/history/and-the-winners-were |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

== Home media ==
''Ordinary People'' was released on ] in 2001.<ref>{{Citation |last=Redford |first=Robert |title=Ordinary People |date=April 25, 2017 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-People-Judd-Hirsch/dp/B06XGRJ81X/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= |language=English |access-date=2022-07-30}}</ref> It was released on ] in March 2022, featuring a ] restoration of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ordinary People (Paramount Presents) Blu-ray Review {{!}} High Def Digest |url=https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/101912/ordinarypeopleparamountpresents.html |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=bluray.highdefdigest.com}}</ref>

== See also ==
* ], a stage version of the novel by Judith Guest
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0081283|Ordinary People}}
* {{AllRovi movie|36600|Ordinary People}}
* {{mojo title|ordinarypeople|Ordinary People}} * {{mojo title|ordinarypeople|Ordinary People}}
* {{IMDb title|0081283|Ordinary People}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|ordinary_people|Ordinary People}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|ordinary_people|Ordinary People}}
* {{TCMDb title|4772|Ordinary People}}
* {{Metacritic film}}


{{Robert Redford}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for ''Ordinary People''
| list =
{{AcademyAwardBestPicture 1961–1980}} {{AcademyAwardBestPicture 1961–1980}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestMotionPictureDrama 1961–1980}} {{GoldenGlobeBestMotionPictureDrama 1961–1980}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Film}}
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Latest revision as of 03:40, 22 December 2024

1980 film by Robert Redford This article is about the film. For the novel it is based on, see Ordinary People (Guest novel). For other uses, see Ordinary People (disambiguation).

Ordinary People
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Redford
Screenplay byAlvin Sargent
Based onOrdinary People
by Judith Guest
Produced byRonald L. Schwary
StarringDonald Sutherland
Mary Tyler Moore
Judd Hirsch
Timothy Hutton
CinematographyJohn Bailey
Edited byJeff Kanew
Music byMarvin Hamlisch
Production
company		Wildwood Enterprises, Inc
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • September 19, 1980 (1980-09-19)
Running time124 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.2 million
Box office$90 million

Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his feature directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of a wealthy family in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the accidental death of one of their two sons and the attempted suicide of the other. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton.

Ordinary People was released theatrically on September 19, 1980, by Paramount Pictures to critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised Redford's direction, Sargent's screenplay, and the performances of the cast. The film, which grossed $90 million on a $6.2 million budget, was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 1980, and garnered six nominations at the 53rd Academy Awards, winning four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Hutton (the youngest recipient at age 20). In addition, the film won five awards at the 38th Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Actress (Moore), Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (Hutton).

Plot

The Jarretts are an upper-middle-class family in Lake Forest, a wealthy suburb north of Chicago. They are trying to return to normal life after experiencing the accidental death of their older teenage son, Buck, and the attempted suicide of their younger and surviving son, Conrad. Conrad has recently returned home after spending four months in a psychiatric hospital. He feels alienated from his friends and family and seeks help from a psychiatrist, Dr. Tyrone Berger, who discovers that Conrad was involved in the sailing accident that caused Buck's death. Conrad is now dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and is seeking help to cope with his emotions.

Conrad's father, Calvin, attempts to connect with his surviving son and understand his wife, while Conrad's mother, Beth, denies her loss, hoping to maintain her composure and restore her family to what it once was. She appears to have favored her older son and has grown cold toward Conrad due to his suicide attempt. Beth is determined to maintain the appearance of perfection and normality, and her efforts only serve to alienate Conrad further. Conrad works with Dr. Berger and begins to learn how to deal with his emotions rather than control them. He starts dating a fellow student, Jeannine, who helps him regain a sense of optimism. However, Conrad still struggles to communicate and establish normal relationships with his parents and schoolmates.

Beth and Conrad often argue while Calvin tries to referee, generally taking Conrad's side for fear of pushing him over the edge again. Tensions escalate near Christmas when Conrad becomes furious at Beth for not wanting to take a photo with him, swearing at her in front of his grandparents. Afterwards, Beth discovers Conrad has been lying about his after-school whereabouts. This leads to a heated confrontation between Conrad and Beth in which Conrad points out that Beth never visited him in the hospital; Conrad argues that if Buck had been hospitalized in his place, she would have gone to see him, to which Beth curtly replies that Buck would never have been in the hospital in the first place. Beth and Calvin take a trip to see Beth's brother Ward in Houston, where Calvin presses Beth about her evasive attitude.

Conrad suffers a setback when he learns that Karen, a friend from the psychiatric hospital, has committed suicide. A cathartic breakthrough session in the middle of the night with Dr. Berger allows Conrad to stop blaming himself for Buck's death and accept his mother's frailties. However, when Conrad tries to show affection, Beth is unresponsive, leading Calvin to emotionally confront her one last time. He questions their love and asks whether she is capable of truly loving anyone. Stunned, Beth packs her bags and goes back to Houston. Calvin and Conrad are left to come to terms with their new family situation, affirming their father-son love.

Cast

Casting

Gene Hackman was originally cast as Calvin Jarrett but then later dropped out when he and the studio could not come to a financial agreement.

A then-unknown Michael J. Fox, who had just moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, auditioned for the role of Conrad Jarrett but reportedly did not impress Redford, who flossed his teeth during Fox's audition.

Natalie Wood was also considered for the role of Beth.

Reception

Box office

The film was a box-office success, grossing $54 million in the United States and Canada and approximately $36 million overseas for a worldwide gross of $90 million.

Critical reception

Ordinary People received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 90%, based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Robert Redford proves himself a filmmaker of uncommon emotional intelligence with Ordinary People, an auspicious debut that deftly observes the fractioning of a family unit through a quartet of superb performances."

Roger Ebert gave it a full four stars and praised how the film's setting "is seen with an understated matter-of-factness. There are no cheap shots against suburban lifestyles or affluence or mannerisms: The problems of the people in this movie aren't caused by their milieu, but grow out of themselves. ... That's what sets the film apart from the sophisticated suburban soap opera it could easily have become." He later named it the fifth best film of the year 1980; while colleague Gene Siskel ranked it the second best film of 1980.

Writing for The New York Times, Vincent Canby called it "a moving, intelligent and funny film about disasters that are commonplace to everyone except the people who experience them."

The film marked a career breakout for Mary Tyler Moore from the personalities of her other two famous roles: Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Moore's nuanced portrayal of the mother to Hutton's character was highly acclaimed, and earned her a Best Actress nomination. Donald Sutherland's performance as the father was also well received and earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Despite his co-stars receiving nominations, Sutherland was overlooked for an Academy Award, which Entertainment Weekly has described as one of the biggest acting snubs in the history of the awards.

Judd Hirsch's portrayal of Dr. Berger was a departure from his work on the sitcom Taxi, and drew praise from many in the psychiatric community as one of the rare times their profession is shown in a positive light in film. Hirsch was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, losing out to co-star Hutton. Additionally, Ordinary People launched the career of Elizabeth McGovern who played Hutton's character's love interest, and who received special permission to film while attending Juilliard.

The film's prominent usage of Pachelbel's Canon, which had been relatively obscure for centuries, helped to usher the piece into mainstream popular culture.

Analysis

Julia L. Hall, a journalist who has written extensively about narcissistic personality disorder, wrote in 2017 upon Moore's death that she "portrays her character's narcissism to a tee in turn after turn." She praised Moore for taking such a career risk so soon after having played such a memorable and likable character on television, "scaffolding gaping emptiness with a persona of perfection, supported by denial, blame, rejection, and rage."

Accolades

The film was nominated for six Academy Awards (winning four), including the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (for Hutton) in his first film role.

Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards Best Picture Ronald L. Schwary Won
Best Director Robert Redford Won
Best Actress Mary Tyler Moore Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Judd Hirsch Nominated
Timothy Hutton Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Alvin Sargent Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Mary Tyler Moore Nominated
Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Timothy Hutton Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Robert Redford Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama Won
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Donald Sutherland Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Mary Tyler Moore Won
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Judd Hirsch Nominated
Timothy Hutton Won
Best Director – Motion Picture Robert Redford Won
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Alvin Sargent Nominated
New Star of the Year – Actor Timothy Hutton Won
Japan Academy Film Prize Outstanding Foreign Language Film Nominated
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Best Film Won
Best Director Robert Redford Won
Best Supporting Actor Timothy Hutton Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actor Won
Nastro d'Argento Best Foreign Director Robert Redford Nominated
National Board of Review Awards Best Film Won
Top Ten Films Won
Best Director Robert Redford Won
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Mary Tyler Moore 2nd Place
Best Supporting Actor Timothy Hutton 2nd Place
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Film Won
Best Director Robert Redford Runner-up
Best Actress Mary Tyler Moore Runner-up
Best Supporting Actor Timothy Hutton Runner-up
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium Alvin Sargent Won

Home media

Ordinary People was released on DVD in 2001. It was released on Blu-ray in March 2022, featuring a 4K restoration of the film.

See also

References

  1. Harmetz, Aljean (May 30, 1981). "Pryor and Alda Proving Stars Still Sell Movies". The New York Times. p. 1.10. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  2. "Academy Awards: Best Director Facts and Trivia". filmsite.org. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. Wuntch, Philip (November 14, 1985). "Gene Hackman Happy with his Career Despite 'Honorable Disappointments'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  4. Lang, Brent (May 11, 2023). "Michael J. Fox Looks Back on Hollywood Triumphs, Setbacks and Why 'Parkinson's Is the Gift That Keeps on Taking'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  5. Late Night with David Letterman. October 23, 1985. NBC. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VmnP-tSI-4 Archived June 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Ordinary People at Box Office Mojo
  7. Watkins, Roger (April 29, 1981). "CIC Sights a $235-Mil Global Windfall". Variety. p. 3.
  8. "Ordinary People (1980)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  9. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1980). "Ordinary People review". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  10. "Siskel and Ebert Top Ten Lists (1969–1998)". innermind.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  11. Canby, Vincent (September 19, 1980). "Redford's Ordinary People". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  12. ^ Siegel, Scott and Barbara (1990). The Encyclopedia of Hollywood.
  13. "25 Biggest Oscar Snubs Ever: Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People". Entertainment Weekly. March 1, 2016. Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  14. Martin, Linda B. (January 25, 1981). "The Psychiatrist in Today's Movies: He's Everywhere and He's in Deep Trouble". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2006.
  15. Fink, Robert (2010). "Prisoners of Pachelbel: An Essay in Post-Canonic Musicology". Hamburg Jahrbuch. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  16. ^ Hall, Julie L. (February 11, 2017). "Remembering Mary Tyler Moore as the Chilling Narcissist Mother in 'Ordinary People'". The Narcissist Family Files. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  17. "The 53rd Academy Awards". oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  18. "Film in 1982". awards.bafta.org. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  19. "Redford Wins Directors' Prize". The New York Times. March 17, 1981. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  20. "1981 Golden Globe Awards". Golden Globes. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  21. "KCFCC Award Winners – 1980-89". Kansas City Film Critics Circle. December 14, 2013. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  22. "6th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". lafca.net. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  23. "1980 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  24. Maslin, Janet (January 7, 1981). "'Melvin and Howard' is Chosen as Best Film". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  25. "Ordinary People' Wins N.Y. Film Critics' Award". The Pittsburgh Press. December 31, 1980. p. 7. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  26. O’Neil, Tom (March 2001). "And the Winners Were..." Written By. WGA. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  27. Redford, Robert (April 25, 2017), Ordinary People, retrieved July 30, 2022
  28. "Ordinary People (Paramount Presents) Blu-ray Review | High Def Digest". bluray.highdefdigest.com. Retrieved July 30, 2022.

External links

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Awards for Ordinary People
Academy Award for Best Picture
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Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
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National Board of Review Award for Best Film
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New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film
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