Ordinary People

This is one of those films that I am supposed to refer to as a 'guilty pleasure'. Because it has a reputation of being a somewhat sentimental film. It also is saddled with the misfortune of being the film that prevented Raging Bull winning the Oscars it supposedly deserved. It is therefore reviled by many film fans. I think unfairly.

It is a very good film that does exactly what it says on the tin. It tells the story of a group of Ordinary people living through a tragedy. The tragedy in question is the death of a family's eldest son Buck. His younger brother survived the boating accident that killed him and he has attempted suicide some months before we begin the story.

He is saddled with the guilt of surviving the accident, his mother is grieving the loss of the son she loved more than he one who lived and dad wants to try and mend his broken family. The three leads are outstanding. Timothy Hutton gives a great debutant performance as the traumatised Conrad, who loves and fears his mom who he is so much alike. Donald Sutherlan does superbly in the role of the dad who is the only person in the family who wants to actually heal the pain they are in. However the true star is Mary Tyler Moore. Playing the matriarch Beth who must maintain appearance above everything else even though her heart is clearly broke in two.

The scenes with her and Tim Hutton, where he tries to talk to her about their shared grief, are the most poignant, beautifully played I have seen in cinema. Alongside that is the beautiful scenes with Sutherland and Hutton at the film's close and the scene where he goes to see Judd Hirsch, a psychiatrist who is helping his son recover. Hirsch is also excellent.

So there may be film fans out there who have not seen this film. To them I say, forget what you read, go with a clear mind and enjoy a beautiful story, well told and acted.