Barnes & Noble

There's nothing ordinary about Ordinary People, Robert Redford's powerful, Oscar-winning adaptation of Judith Guest's novel about the deterioration of an upper-middle-class family. For his first directorial effort, Redford chose a piece with sharply delineated characters, brought to life impeccably by a gifted cast. Timothy Hutton won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a guilt-ridden teenager who attempts suicide after failing to save his brother from drowning. Erstwhile sitcom star Mary Tyler Moore has never equaled her performance as the stern, embittered mother who withholds love from her surviving son following the death of her firstborn. Also superb are Donald Sutherland, playing Hutton's sympathetic but ineffectual father, and "Taxi" star Judd Hirsch as the charismatic psychiatrist who attempts to rouse Hutton from his melancholia. Named 1980's Best Picture, Ordinary People hasn't dated a bit: 20 years later, it remains a compelling, emotionally powerful viewing experience. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Robert Redford's directorial debut ended up the 1980 Oscar winner for Best Picture. It is a simple but painfully emotional story of the disintegration of a "perfect" family. Teenager Conrad (Timothy Hutton) lives under a cloud of guilt after his brother drowns after their boat capsizes in Lake Michigan. Despite intensive therapy sessions with his psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch), Conrad can't shake the belief that he should have died instead of his brother; nor do his preoccupied parents (Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore) offer much in the way of solace. The boy is brought out of his doldrums through his romance with Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern). A winner in every respect, Ordinary People (adapted from the novel by Judith Guest) scores highest in the scenes with Mary Tyler Moore, who superbly and perceptively portrays a blinkered, ever-smiling suburban wife and mother for whom outward appearance is all that matters. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 097360896442
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, monaural
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 2:04:00
• Sales Rank: 1,433

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