Plot & Details
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.
- MPAA Rating: R
- Genre(s): Drama
- Run Time: 124min.
- Theatrical Release Date: 09/19/1980
- DVD Release Date: 08/14/2001
- Distributor(s): Paramount
- Director(s): Robert Redford
- Starring: Donald Sutherland , Mary Tyler Moore , Judd Hirsch , Timothy Hutton , Elizabeth McGovern
- Themes: Suicide,Families in Crisis,Therapy,Dysfunctional Families,Suburban Dysfunction,Fathers and Sons,Mothers and Sons,Death of a Child,Haunted By the Past
- Tone: Autumnal,Tearjerking,Intimate,Melancholy,Somber
- Keywords: accident,child,coming-of-age,death,death-in-family,drowning,dysfunctional,family,family-member,family-tragedy,forbidden-love,guilt,relationship,suicide,suicide-attempt,teenagers,tension,wealth
- Language: English
Awards
Academy Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Supporting Actor | Timothy Hutton | Won |
| 1980 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Picture | Ronald L. Schwary | Won |
| 1980 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Supporting Actor | Judd Hirsch | Nominated |
| 1980 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Director | Robert Redford | Won |
| 1980 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Adapted Screenplay | Alvin Sargent | Won |
| 1980 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Actress | Mary Tyler Moore | Nominated |
Golden Globes
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Screenplay | Alvin Sargent | Nominated |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama | Mary Tyler Moore | Won |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Picture - Drama | Won | |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | New Star of the Year - Male | Timothy Hutton | Won |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | Donald Sutherland | Nominated |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Judd Hirsch | Nominated |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Timothy Hutton | Won |
| 1980 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Director | Robert Redford | Won |
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