Picture 53: Ordinary People (1980)

It’s the 1980s and we begin with Robert Redford’s directorial debut. We visit suburban Chicago and meet the Jarrett family. This middle-class unit of father Calvin (Donald Sutherland), mother Beth (Mary Tyler Moore) and son Conrad (Timothy Hutton) appear ordinary on the surface but what does ordinary really mean?

For the Jarrett family, tragedy lurks beneath their comfortable American existence. They are still recovering from the death of their older teenage son in a boating accident followed by Conrad’s subsequent attempted suicide and four-month inpatient stay in a psychiatric hospital. We witness Conrad’s efforts to heal the trauma that tore into his soul with the help of his therapist (Judd Hirsch). This is juxtaposed with his mother’s futile efforts to maintain a superficial image of perfection. Conrad’s anxiety and depression meet Beth’s narcissism in the most gripping of impasses.

It is fantastically acted by all and an excellent depiction of the struggles that can come with being a human being. 20-year-old Tim Hutton remains the youngest ever winner of Best Supporting Actor and it was thoroughly deserved too. This film goes into the nuanced depths and complexities of the psyche more than is usual for any cinematic venture. It also manages to resurrect Pachelbel’s Canon from its 1680 slumber.

Ordinary People showcases the tragedy, hope and valour that can make ordinary life extraordinary. It makes the top 10. Very well done.

Rating: 9/10

Reflections:

1.     With the right help, all psychological wounds can heal eventually.

2.    Honesty is wealth.

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. The Godfather (1972)

2. Casablanca (1943)

3. The Apartment (1960)

4. Rebecca (1940)

5. The Godfather: Part II (1974)

6. The Sound of Music (1965)

7. Ordinary People (1980)

8. The Deer Hunter (1978)

9. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

10. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

11. Ben-Hur (1959)

12. Lost Weekend (1945)

13. Rocky (1976)

14. Annie Hall (1977)

15. All About Eve (1950)

16. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

17. Hamlet (1948)

18. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

19. Gone With the Wind (1939)

20. West Side Story (1961)

21. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

22. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

23. Wings (1928)

24. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

25. You can’t take it with you (1938)

26. Patton (1970)

27. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

28. On the Waterfront (1954)

29. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

30. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

31. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

32. Marty (1955)

33. Oliver! (1968)

34. Cimarron (1931)

35. Grand Hotel (1932)

36. The French Connection (1971)

37. An American in Paris (1951)

38. From Here to Eternity (1953)

39. It Happened One Night (1934)

40. My Fair Lady (1964)

41. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

42. Cavalcade (1933)

43. The Sting (1973)

44. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

45. Going My Way (1944)

46. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

47. All the King’s Men (1949)

48. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

49. Gigi (1958)

50. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

51. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

52. The Broadway Melody (1929)

53. Tom Jones (1963)

Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.

With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:

Dr Sophie Bloomfield – Fashion Correspondent

Dr Caspar Briault – Head of Cynicism

Dr Conrad Charlton

Dr Kate Diomede

Dr Fionnuala Durrant

Dr Josh Fisher

Dr Joseph Gallaher – CEO and Founder

Dr Joseph Hamilton

Dr Adam Holland

Dr Sid Mohan - Divisional Lead for the 1980s

Dr Hannah Morrison

Dr Meera Radia