Ordinary People (1980)
In 1980, Robert Redford proved to Hollywood he was more than just a pretty face by directing Ordinary People and winning the Best Director Oscar the following year. Really, though, did anyone think he was just a pretty face? By the time Ordinary People hit the theaters in September 1980, he’d starred in Neil Simon’s most successful Broadway play, been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer, been nominated for an Emmy, won three Henrietta World Film Favorite Awards, won a BAFTA award for Best Actor, won a Western Heritage Award, been nominated for four Golden Laurels, and created a little contribution to independent cinema called the Sundance Film Festival.
In Ordinary People, Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore are grieving over the death of their favored son. Timothy Hutton, the other son, has spent four months in a mental hospital after an attempted suicide. He’s far from well-adjusted when he returns to his dysfunctional family environment, and the film follows everyone’s grieving process and how they adjust to their new “normal”. This is a very tense family drama, and a groundbreaking film at the time.
Moore showed an incredible new side to her acting talents, since this role was so different from her television roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I’ve actually never seen her television work, so it’s hard for me to imagine her as anything but a serious dramatic actress. If that sounds silly to you, watch this movie and you’ll understand. Moore was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars in 1981, and Hutton, who was only twenty years old, was and is the youngest actor to win Best Supporting Actor. I always say it’s incredible to find child actors who are able to give a good, reliable performance, but it’s equally incredible to see young adults who are terrific actors. Young children are used to taking orders from grown-ups, but young adults are at the age where they’re starting to rebel from authority figures. They’re just starting to discover who they are, and attempting to lose themselves in an acting role could feel confusing and unsafe. At the delicate age of twenty, Timothy Hutton gives a deep feeling, unforgettable performance.
More Robert Redford movies here!
In Ordinary People, Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore are grieving over the death of their favored son. Timothy Hutton, the other son, has spent four months in a mental hospital after an attempted suicide. He’s far from well-adjusted when he returns to his dysfunctional family environment, and the film follows everyone’s grieving process and how they adjust to their new “normal”. This is a very tense family drama, and a groundbreaking film at the time.
Moore showed an incredible new side to her acting talents, since this role was so different from her television roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I’ve actually never seen her television work, so it’s hard for me to imagine her as anything but a serious dramatic actress. If that sounds silly to you, watch this movie and you’ll understand. Moore was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars in 1981, and Hutton, who was only twenty years old, was and is the youngest actor to win Best Supporting Actor. I always say it’s incredible to find child actors who are able to give a good, reliable performance, but it’s equally incredible to see young adults who are terrific actors. Young children are used to taking orders from grown-ups, but young adults are at the age where they’re starting to rebel from authority figures. They’re just starting to discover who they are, and attempting to lose themselves in an acting role could feel confusing and unsafe. At the delicate age of twenty, Timothy Hutton gives a deep feeling, unforgettable performance.
More Robert Redford movies here!