******SPOILERS*******
There are so many reasons I love this movie. To begin with, there's Robert Redford's direction. I can't think of another movie he has directed that I'd call memorable, but he certainly got it right on this one. From the opening shot of the lake, more meaningful for those not viewing the film for the first time, somberly presented with the delicate first notes of the Pacobel Canon. Then the picturesque scenes around Lake Forrest in all it's Autumnal glory, as the music gradually builds. A perfect upper-middle class neighborhood, with perfect houses and perfect lawns. But we soon learn that all is not perfect in this scene as Redford cuts from Conrad Jarrett singing with the glee club, to Conrad Jarret suddenly sitting bolt upright in bed, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. The cause: his brother died in a boating accident, after which Conrad tried to commit suicide.
A few scenes later Redford tellingly begins the breakfast scene with a shot of Beth's hands setting glasses of orange juice on the table - first two glasses set down together, then the third glass very deliberately placed on the table by itself. In this simple gesture we get an immediate sense of Conrad's feelings of isolation, even in his own home, and Beth's idea of his position in the family. It is in this same scene that we first witness Beth's callous attitude toward her youngest son. The way she immediately takes away his French toast when he says he's not hungry, not even giving him a chance to change his mind, and brusquely shoves it down the garbage disposal. When her husband Calvin protests she coldly tells him, "You can't save French toast." Possibly a metaphor for how she feels about her damaged son. Then comes the condescending attitude, when she asks him if he wants her to sign him up for a golf tournament. He says, "I haven't played in a year." She counters with a judgmental, "Don't you think it's time you did?" In other words, Beth thinks it's high time her weak son got over his suicidal angst. In this deceptively simple scene Redford neatly sets the tone for the 3 main characters: troubled, isolated Conrad; supportive, puzzled Calvin; cold, unfeeling Beth.
The acting is brilliant. Hutton is easy to identify with as Conrad. The scenes where he courts Jeannine Pratt ( an engaging Elizabeth McGovern) show his warm and endearing side. He also skillfully captures Conrad's emotional turmoil. His scenes with Dr Berger (Judd Hirsch) show great range and depth. Their emotional breakthrough is honest and touching (and, by the way, copied almost shot-for-shot in the film "Good Will Hunting). Donald Sutherland hits the right notes as Calvin Jarrett. His big emotional scene at the end rings true precisely because of his steady, supportive characterization throughout the entire film. I love the scene where he talks to Beth about the day their son died. Hirsch is also quite good as Conrad's psychologist.
Top acting honors, however, must go to Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett. It would be easy to have Beth become a stereotypical monster mother whose rigid, demanding, unloving personality have probably contributed as much to her son's mental state as the family tragedy they have endured. But MTM's Beth isn't one dimensional. We see her warm moments, mostly with her husband and in a couple of key flashbacks. She's that good friend you think you're close to, but not really. Moore has so many great moments in the film. The scene with Conrad in the backyard, when she tries to draw him out, then quickly retreats when he mentions his dead brother. There's the picture-taking scene, which begins like a Kodak commercial, endures a blow-up by Conrad, and ends with the unflappable Beth casually saying, "Smile" as she snaps a picture. There's the big Christmas tree scene, where it becomes obvious that one sure way to draw Beth's ire is to let a friend find out personal family info before she knows about it. I also love the scene where she has lunch with Calvin in the department store. They're discussing private family business when a waitress intrudes. The way Moore cuts off her sentence, gives the waitress a curt, superficial smile, then resumes her sentence after the waitress leaves, is shear genius. But my favorite scene is the big golfing blow-up, where we see Beth go from being a lucky golfer to a screaming harpy in a matter of seconds. You have to feel sorry for her brother, Ward, when he steps in and tells her everybody just wants her to be happy. He should know better, having grown up with Beth. Her scathing reply make it clear she knows a lot about being unhappy:
"Happy? Ward you tell me what's happy? But first you better make sure your kids are safe. That none of them have fallen out of a tree, or been hit by a car, or drowned in that pool you're so proud of! Then you come to me and tell me how to be happy!"
I think Mary Tyler Moore gives a near perfect performance in "Ordinary People". With apologies to Sissy Spacek, MTM deserved the Best Actress Oscar.
One criticism of OP that I've heard is that it ends too neatly. Their complaint was something along the lines of, "Not every kid gets better." I don't see how this applies to OP. Sure, Conrad was helped by his therapy, and at the end of the film he is "better", though I get the sense he is far from healed. As for his family, it has been devastated AND strengthened at the same time. OP is a hopeful film that deals with complex issues in a very satisfying manner. I think it has aged well over the past 30 years, and it still ranks as one of my favorite films of all time.
There are so many reasons I love this movie. To begin with, there's Robert Redford's direction. I can't think of another movie he has directed that I'd call memorable, but he certainly got it right on this one. From the opening shot of the lake, more meaningful for those not viewing the film for the first time, somberly presented with the delicate first notes of the Pacobel Canon. Then the picturesque scenes around Lake Forrest in all it's Autumnal glory, as the music gradually builds. A perfect upper-middle class neighborhood, with perfect houses and perfect lawns. But we soon learn that all is not perfect in this scene as Redford cuts from Conrad Jarrett singing with the glee club, to Conrad Jarret suddenly sitting bolt upright in bed, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. The cause: his brother died in a boating accident, after which Conrad tried to commit suicide.
A few scenes later Redford tellingly begins the breakfast scene with a shot of Beth's hands setting glasses of orange juice on the table - first two glasses set down together, then the third glass very deliberately placed on the table by itself. In this simple gesture we get an immediate sense of Conrad's feelings of isolation, even in his own home, and Beth's idea of his position in the family. It is in this same scene that we first witness Beth's callous attitude toward her youngest son. The way she immediately takes away his French toast when he says he's not hungry, not even giving him a chance to change his mind, and brusquely shoves it down the garbage disposal. When her husband Calvin protests she coldly tells him, "You can't save French toast." Possibly a metaphor for how she feels about her damaged son. Then comes the condescending attitude, when she asks him if he wants her to sign him up for a golf tournament. He says, "I haven't played in a year." She counters with a judgmental, "Don't you think it's time you did?" In other words, Beth thinks it's high time her weak son got over his suicidal angst. In this deceptively simple scene Redford neatly sets the tone for the 3 main characters: troubled, isolated Conrad; supportive, puzzled Calvin; cold, unfeeling Beth.
The acting is brilliant. Hutton is easy to identify with as Conrad. The scenes where he courts Jeannine Pratt ( an engaging Elizabeth McGovern) show his warm and endearing side. He also skillfully captures Conrad's emotional turmoil. His scenes with Dr Berger (Judd Hirsch) show great range and depth. Their emotional breakthrough is honest and touching (and, by the way, copied almost shot-for-shot in the film "Good Will Hunting). Donald Sutherland hits the right notes as Calvin Jarrett. His big emotional scene at the end rings true precisely because of his steady, supportive characterization throughout the entire film. I love the scene where he talks to Beth about the day their son died. Hirsch is also quite good as Conrad's psychologist.
Top acting honors, however, must go to Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett. It would be easy to have Beth become a stereotypical monster mother whose rigid, demanding, unloving personality have probably contributed as much to her son's mental state as the family tragedy they have endured. But MTM's Beth isn't one dimensional. We see her warm moments, mostly with her husband and in a couple of key flashbacks. She's that good friend you think you're close to, but not really. Moore has so many great moments in the film. The scene with Conrad in the backyard, when she tries to draw him out, then quickly retreats when he mentions his dead brother. There's the picture-taking scene, which begins like a Kodak commercial, endures a blow-up by Conrad, and ends with the unflappable Beth casually saying, "Smile" as she snaps a picture. There's the big Christmas tree scene, where it becomes obvious that one sure way to draw Beth's ire is to let a friend find out personal family info before she knows about it. I also love the scene where she has lunch with Calvin in the department store. They're discussing private family business when a waitress intrudes. The way Moore cuts off her sentence, gives the waitress a curt, superficial smile, then resumes her sentence after the waitress leaves, is shear genius. But my favorite scene is the big golfing blow-up, where we see Beth go from being a lucky golfer to a screaming harpy in a matter of seconds. You have to feel sorry for her brother, Ward, when he steps in and tells her everybody just wants her to be happy. He should know better, having grown up with Beth. Her scathing reply make it clear she knows a lot about being unhappy:
"Happy? Ward you tell me what's happy? But first you better make sure your kids are safe. That none of them have fallen out of a tree, or been hit by a car, or drowned in that pool you're so proud of! Then you come to me and tell me how to be happy!"
I think Mary Tyler Moore gives a near perfect performance in "Ordinary People". With apologies to Sissy Spacek, MTM deserved the Best Actress Oscar.
One criticism of OP that I've heard is that it ends too neatly. Their complaint was something along the lines of, "Not every kid gets better." I don't see how this applies to OP. Sure, Conrad was helped by his therapy, and at the end of the film he is "better", though I get the sense he is far from healed. As for his family, it has been devastated AND strengthened at the same time. OP is a hopeful film that deals with complex issues in a very satisfying manner. I think it has aged well over the past 30 years, and it still ranks as one of my favorite films of all time.