Ordinary People

Play trailer

2:21

Ordinary People

R

1980

2h 3m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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).

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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

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 Mar 16

A pensively moving story from director Robert Redford’s masterpiece.

See more

Troy T

@Wurley Mar 16

Classic film with wonderfully complex characters and performances. One of my all-time favorites.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad's Breakthrough

0:54

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad's Breakdown

0:33

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Mother and Son Photo

1:09

Ordinary People: Official Clip - We Never Had a Pet

1:07

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Mothers Don't Hate Their Sons

0:46

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Conrad Opens Up to Jeannine

1:31

Ordinary People: Official Clip - Love Ends

2:13

View more videos

American Gigolo

73%

51%

American Gigolo

Watchlist

Pretty Baby

70%

58%

Pretty Baby

Watchlist

Heartburn

46%

46%

Heartburn

Watchlist

The Day of the Locust

63%

75%

The Day of the Locust

Watchlist

Children of a Lesser God

81%

78%

Children of a Lesser God

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Children of a Lesser God

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Ordinary People: Trailer 1

2:21

View more videos

View more photos

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)

Most Popular at Home Now