Ordinary People

Year: 1980

Grade: C+

Country: USA

Director: Redford

Review

pretty similar in feel and theme to the many pictures which decry the dissolution of the american family – films like those of douglas sirk, american beauty, and rebel without a cause; throw in a little good will hunting and kramer vs. kramer and you get the picture. i think that the opening is the strongest portion of the film – it’s lyrical and measured at first, but quickly changes. through a series of edits we are brought into hutton’s world of fragmented dreams and guilt. all the performances are good, but redford’s direction was sometimes saccharine or overly emotional, even cheesy. overall, though, it’s a good work in a genre that’s got plenty of good films already. really, this film, though good, doesn’t add anything to the body of work before, or after it. as a result it should be mostly forgotten.