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Ordinary People

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for Ordinary People R 1980 2h 3m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 105 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Tormented by guilt following the death of his older brother, Buck, in a sailing accident, alienated teenager Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) attempts suicide. Returning home following an extended stay in a psychiatric hospital, Conrad tries to deal with his mental anguish and also reconnect with his mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), who has grown cold and angry, and his emotionally wounded father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), with the help of his psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch).

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Ordinary People

Ordinary People

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Critics Consensus

Robert Redford proves himself a filmmaker of uncommon emotional intelligence with Ordinary People, an auspicious debut that deftly observes the fractioning of a family unit through a quartet of superb performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Jay Scott Globe and Mail 08/08/2022
It does not want to shock you, provoke you, frighten you, intellectually stimulate you, or even teach you anything you do not already know. Go to Full Review David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture 07/15/2022
Putting it crudely, I don't think a first-time director should make such a display of his own sensitivity. What Redford reveals of the Jarretts just isn't surprising or complex enough to justify all this gravity. Go to Full Review Pauline Kael The New Yorker 07/15/2022
The movie is just as sanitized as the fantasy of upper-middle-class life it sets out to expose. And it’s just as empty and orderly. Go to Full Review John Stark Mac the Movie Guy Oct 5
88/100
A stunning and emotionally devastating look at a modern family, complete with a frank dissection of mental health, lead by a career defining performance from Timothy Hutton and thoughtful direction by Robert Redford. Go to Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee Sep 28
So much of the picture has been codified into pop culture cliches, it can be difficult to imagine how startling it must have seemed at the time. Go to Full Review Akos Peterbencze The Screen 09/23/2024
Over four decades in, Ordinary People is still compelling and remarkable because it conveys a delicate emotional intelligence that rings true regardless of race, class, ethnicity, or gender. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jeffery H. @RT61957740 May 4 One of my top three movies beside gone with the wind and the Godfather!!! See more Iambydefault @johnhughesmuse Mar 2 I love this movie. It’s highly watchable, well written, and follows the story well. The scenes feel like real lives. See more Christian K @ckacar Feb 7 A solemn, well done look at a family in distress. Timothy Hutton as Conrad in the supporting actor category is maybe the worst case of category fraud ever done at the Oscars. See more BJ M @HotMovieStar Nov 29 Robert Redford is brilliant and the acting, especially by Hutton and Sutherland, is outstanding. See more Mania I. @TheMania510 Nov 8 Absolutely beautiful. Moving and deeply emotional well acted well directed by Robert Redford it's nearly a perfect movie. The movie will stay with you forever. Bravo simply bravo. See more Jon G @RT43191456 03/16/2025 A pensively moving story from director Robert Redford’s masterpiece. See more Read all reviews
Ordinary People

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Redford

Director

Donald Sutherland

Calvin Jarrett

Timothy Hutton

Conrad Jarrett

Mary Tyler Moore

Beth Jarrett

Judd Hirsch

Dr. Tyrone C. Berger

M. Emmet Walsh

Coach Salan

Movie Clips

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Ordinary People

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad's Breakthrough Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad's Breakthrough 0:54 Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad's Breakdown Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad's Breakdown 0:33 Ordinary People: Official Clip - Mother and Son Photo Ordinary People: Official Clip - Mother and Son Photo 1:09 Ordinary People: Official Clip - We Never Had a Pet Ordinary People: Official Clip - We Never Had a Pet 1:07 Ordinary People: Official Clip - Mothers Don't Hate Their Sons Ordinary People: Official Clip - Mothers Don't Hate Their Sons 0:46 Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad Opens Up to Jeannine Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad Opens Up to Jeannine 1:31 Ordinary People: Official Clip - Love Ends Ordinary People: Official Clip - Love Ends 2:13 View more videos

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Ordinary People

Ordinary People: Trailer 1 Ordinary People: Trailer 1 2:21 View more videos
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Ordinary People

Ordinary People (1980) Ordinary People (1980) Ordinary People (1980) Ordinary People (1980) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Tormented by guilt following the death of his older brother, Buck, in a sailing accident, alienated teenager Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) attempts suicide. Returning home following an extended stay in a psychiatric hospital, Conrad tries to deal with his mental anguish and also reconnect with his mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), who has grown cold and angry, and his emotionally wounded father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), with the help of his psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch).
Director
Robert Redford
Producer
Ronald L. Schwary
Screenwriter
Judith Guest, Alvin Sargent
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 19, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2013
Runtime
2h 3m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)