Ordinary People (Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland) 1/2
History has shown that Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull was a more infuential work and the recipient of far more critical praise than the actual winner of best picture for 1980, Ordinary People, but comparing the two would be the equivalent of comparing apples to oranges. For its genre -- dramas about dysfunctional families -- it has few equals. It isn't hackneyed or timid. It also has that rare, ambiguous quality of seeming both deceptively simple yet complex all at once.
The picture was actor Robert Redford's first foray into directing, and what I find ironic is that, perhaps in the hands of a more seasoned director, the end result could have ended up being more cluttered than necessary. Redford wisely uses very few camera tricks or techniques, relying primarily on the performances of the four principles: Judd Hirsch as the shrink, Timothy Hutton as the son, Donald Sutherland as the father, and Mary Tyler Moore as the mother.
It's a story that begins in midstream, as the Jarrett family is recovering not only from the elder son's tragic death at sea, but also from the younger son Conrad's recent suicide attempt. As Conrad, Timothy Hutton runs through a draining gamut of emotions (he deservedly received the Best Supporting Actor award). What is going on in Conrad's head? Certainly his father (Sutherland) is having difficulty answering the question; he's having enough trouble trying to understand why his wife (Tyler Moore) is so obsessed with maintaining a PC public image in their small community.
The healing process has been difficult for each of the Jarretts and the ways they deal with (or, in some cases, refuse to deal with) their own feelings leads to a potentially unsatisfying conclusion, but it is a realistic resolution, based more on the fragilities of the human heart than the requirements of the Hollywood movie. Judd Hirsch is surprisingly effective as the calm Dr. Berger, tapping into messed-up Conrad's thoughts without overtly resorting to "shrink speak". Elizabeth McGovern is infectiously cute as Jeannine, Conrad's potential new love interest, who claims to never know quite what to say. She doesn't realize that just by talking to him she's connecting with him in a very positive way.
In the end though, for all of Redford's restraint and points of finesse, it is Hutton, Sutherland and Moore who own the picture. Each time they share scenes, they incrementally layer the intensity factor and build towards a volatile third act confrontation. It's a boiling point that, as a viewer, makes you want to shout out loud and take part in the frenzy too.
I've read there is a stage play of this screenplay. The claustrophobic feel from the movie would no doubt translate quite well to a small theatre setting. Particularly in the 21st century, when family communication and unity is even less of an obtainable goal then it was 20 years ago. Indeed, Ordinary People may inadvertently have predicted the current state of the nuclear family quite accurately.
