Cast: Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, M. Emmett Walsh, Elizabeth MCGovern, Dinah Manoff

Written By: Alvin Sargeant

directed By: Robert Redford

release Year: 1980

Runtime:124 minutes

Nominated for six Academy Awards, winning 4.

*This Film may Have Existing Audio description, however I Watched In response To The Passing Of Robert Redford, And At The time It Was Not Available With Audio Description*

What is it?: A family deals with depression and loss. A father (Sutherland) and mother (Moore) fret over what to do about their recently returned teenage son (Hutton), who survived a suicide attempt, following the death of his brother.

What Works: winner of Best picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay, ordinary People is a film classic. it is one of the best character studies, pulling back the way we talk about depression and confront ideas like suicide. These were not ideas we enjoyed discussing, but as a byproduct of cinema radically changing in the 1980’s, the look at what a modern American family might be became Ordinary People.

True, television was still pushing a lot of traditional family sitcom tropes, but the 70’s even saw push back from programs like All In The Family, which refused to shy away from uncomfortable subject matter. America was ready for this. We were not ready for the passing of Robert Redford, a man who left such a massive impression on film, yet managed to escape without winning a competitive Oscar for acting. In fact, is history around the Oscars is almost offensively underwhelming.

Redford was known for being one of his generations most reliable and bankable actors, and starred in some obvious classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, and the Sting. Despite his status as an icon, he was only ever nominated for an acting Oscar once, for The Sting. he never heard his name in that category again, despite late stage Oscar contenders like All is Lost and the Old Man and the Gun. Redford hasn’t been nominated for a competitive Oscar in ANy category since Quiz Show. However, he did win for directing Ordinary People, and in 2002 he won an Honorary Oscar.

I do like Redford as a director, and his work on ordinary People works well. it is almost a chamber piece, with the film starring Hutton (despite his Supporting Actor category fraud), as the prodigal son trying to cope with life. he has a therapist (Hirsch) who tries to help him through his various issues, and he works with his parents. his father, played deftly by Donald Sutherland (as the only main cast member to not be nominated), is sympathetic to his son’s plight, whereas his mother (Mary Tyler Moore dipping into dramatic work) is a bit more fraught over what this all means. Hutton is the scene stealer, and I’m not sure he’s been able to top this performance. He feels like the perfect casting for a bright, upper middle class suburban kid that has everything going for him, but his mental health is a mystery to everyone including himself.

Ordinary People is the film Redford won for, but I might have preferred Quiz Show. Of course, that film had an impossible year, and ordinary people had a much clearer path to victory.

It certainly isn’t a happy film, but it is a powerful one, and I’d like to believe that it continued to push forward the stories we tell. Redford stated in an interview that he was blessed with the ability to chase projects he wanted instead of just working for money. Perhaps that’s why he helped to fund the Sundance Film Festival and give independent film more light. Either way, we lost a titan. Robert Redford was one of the best there ever was, as an on screen presence, behind the camera, or just simply as a champion of the form itself. I’ve seen Ordinary People before, and I’m glad to revisit it. I’m just sad it was prompted by the passing of Redford.

Why You Might Like it: it is a great film. it also is a Best Picture winner, so it is basically a must see for anyone trying to be a well rounded cinephile.

Why You Might Not Like it: trigger warnings. the film is about a subject matter that may hit too close to home.

Final Thoughts: A stunning and emotionally devastating look at a modern family, complete with a frank dissection of mental health, led by a career defining performance from Timothy Hutton, and thoughtful direction by Robert Redford.

Final Grade: 8.8/10